More Than Just A Pretty Face
by Kataanglover138
Summary: Another Modern Day AU. I know, there are already way too many. But this is a little different. Katara is a mute, it makes some things a little more interesting. There are some other OOC ideas, but I try to keep their personalities canon. Kataang, Sukka, SongXHaru, eventual Maiko, and Toph with my own little headcanon. :) Currently on Haitus for editing: will be updated shortly.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi! Ok, so this is a modern day AU Kataang fic. It takes place in my home town of Davis, Ca. I'm not using it to advertise or anything, only because I want to add a note of realism, and the only way I can do that is if I know the place I'm talking about. The only significant change I made to my high school is that my school is 10****th****-12****th**** grade, and 9****th**** is at the junior high, but I changed it so that 9-12 is here at this high school. I hope you enjoy, and please let me know about any thought you have concerning this.**

Xxx Xxx Xxx

_**Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Be-**_

'_Ugh!' _Katara thought to herself as she rolled backwards after reaching and turning off her alarm clock. Looking through her window, she could see soft light filtering through the cherry tree in their yard. It was actually quite a beautiful sight, but for Katara, it was just another October morning. **[6:05] **her clock reads as she gently slides out from under her heavy blanket, grabbing her communicator and placing it in the pocket of her blue pajama bottoms. Perched on the side of her bed; she rubs the sand from her eyes and slips on her fluffy white slippers.

Slowly wandering through her door and diagonally across the hallway from her bed to the bathroom, she scoops her hair up out of her face and ties it with the rubber band she keeps constantly on her wrist. As she goes through her daily routine of using the bathroom, including washing her face, brushing her teeth, fixing her hair, and doing her make-up, she remains in her zombie-like state. The only thought that crosses her mind is _'another boring day at DHS'_.

Now **[6:20]**, she returns to her room somewhat more awake than before, and slides open the second drawer of her dresser, pulling out one of her favorite tops. It's blue, and in white lettering it has the 'like' symbol from Facebook, followed by the words 'a boss'. She then pulls out her favorite pair of jeans from the third drawer and a blue school sweatshirt from her closet. She quickly gets dressed and packs her backpack with the finished homework left out on her desk from the night before.

Running downstairs she sees the clock, **[6:28]**. _'Great, I've got 15 minutes'_. She places a slice of bread in the toaster on her kitchen counter, and then walks towards the front door to find her shoes. Their house isn't one where shoes are not allowed, she just generally prefers the feeling of the carpet under her feet, and so chooses to leave her shoes by the door most of the time. Hearing the toast _**Pop!**_, she walks back into the kitchen and spreads the toast with butter. Looking at the time, **[6:32]**, _'Where is Sokka! He's probably not even awake yet.'_. She inwardly groans. Still eating her toast she runs up the stairs to her brothers bedroom, which lies across the hall from her own. _**Zzzzzzzzz….. zzzzzzzzzz….. zzzzzzzzzz….. **_Sokka's snoring rings through his door. Rushing through she grabs his shoulders and shakes him.

"Wha-" he starts, "Katara, what time is it?" He sits up dazed and drowsy. She quickly pulls her communicator from her pocket and begins to type. "10 minutes until the bus leaves. Hurry." And with that, she runs back downstairs to grab money for the both of them for the bus fare, and finishes getting ready.

At **[6:40]**, her brother energetically runs down the stairs, extremely annoyed. Grabbing both his bag and her hand, he pulls them both out the door. "Next time, wake me up earlier. I accidentally turned off my alarm, you know I always do."

Typing quickly, "It's not my job to wake you up. And besides, it's not like I can yell at you from downstairs to wake you up, I have to take an extra few minutes out of my morning to pull you out of bed. It takes too much time, because you refuse to get up when I do, and I'm always in the middle of something when you want to wake up". She chose to give him a stern look, as they made the way to the bus stop, barely on time.

"Sis, you gotta stop using your problem as an excuse. You've been living without being able to talk for almost 8 years now, I don't think you can worry about it too much anymore" he responded. They always had the same argument, and maybe he was being a little insensitive, but what he said was true. She was well past adapting to what had been a very sudden change in her life.

She looked at him for a moment, before deciding that today was not a day she was going to fight over the topic. "I know, I just wish you could learn to wake yourself up in the morning. And it's not a problem, it's a disability." As the words finished, she gave him a partial smirk.

"I'll try", he mumbled, before pulling his phone out of his pocket and immersing himself into it, like he does every morning on the 40 minute bus ride to school.

Katara paused, looking out the window at the few people choosing to be up at this hour, before following suit and allowing herself to be engrossed in her phone.

Xxx Xxx Xxx

Filing off the bus in front of her brother, they made their way to the section of lockers in the C-wing. They both had lockers in the same area, and always chose to walk to them first thing in the morning. Unlike most siblings at this school, Katara and Sokka were very close. They happened to share a great number of friends, although neither of them had anyone they would consider very close. They rarely hid anything of importance from each other; it had always been that way. Both were quite different in personality, and yet it didn't stop them from being close.

She briefly waved to Sokka as she closed her locker and walked towards her 1st period class; Math. Oh how she hated math. She always went quite early though, in hopes of getting any extra help. If she got there now, she would have 15 minutes before class to have help with the previous night's homework. Immersed in her thoughts of _'Professor Jeong Jeong needs to learn how to teach!' _and '_Algebra sucks!'_, she almost didn't hear the rough knocking coming from her left side. Turning, all she saw was a row of lockers. Again, the knocking rings loud and clear, but now she's paying attention. It's coming from inside one of the lower lockers.

Reaching down, she notices that although the lock is in place, it is not clasped shut. Pulling at the lock, she lifts the catch, only to be knocked over as the door swung open. Instantly, a boy popped out of the locker and almost lands in her lap as she was now sitting awkwardly on the ground after she fell.

Turning and picking up her books, she stands and sees her, now standing, 'attacker'. "…uh, hi", he mumbles, looking sheepishly at the ground. "Thank you; I've been stuck in there for over half an hour. Anyways, umm… I'm Aang". He sticks out his hand to shake; at the same time, Katara is reaching for her communicator in her pocket. She begins to type. He looks at her with a very confused expression, shyly pulling his hand away to rub the back of his neck, and begins to say "I guess I'll go the-" but stops as the computerized voice flows through the air.

"I'm Katara. Don't worry, I'm not being rude, I'm mute. I use this to talk. I know sign language, but since very few non disabled people do, I tend to use this instead." She gives him a genuine smile and reaches to shake his hand. _'I don't think I've seen him around before, he must be new. A freshman by the look of it, he seems awfully young. And what pretty grey eyes he has'. _Her mind began to wander to thoughts of his appearance, barely registering that he was talking to her. He's wearing simple blue jeans and black shoes, along with a bright orange jacket and a white beanie. He's about an inch or so shorter than her, maybe about 5'5".

Suddenly her mind is brought back to the voice telling her about what happened to make him end up inside the locker. "-and so I's only been on campus for about 30 seconds before he pushed me into that locker and slammed it shut. I thought I would never get out. Not exactly the best start to a first day, don't you think?" he finished. She vigorously nodded her head in response, hoping that he wouldn't notice she had only heard half of what he had said.

She glanced at him for a brief moment, before realizing what she wanted to ask him. "If you're new, what grade are you in? You look a little young, even for a freshman; no offense. And also, do you need help getting to your first class?" She looked at him curiously, waiting for a response.

"Oh, well, I am a freshman, and I guess you could say I'm a little young. I'm fourteen, and won't turn fifteen until June. I just moved here, and I guess at my old school, most of us were a little young." He looked up into her beautiful azure eyes before continuing, "If you could help me get to my next class, that would be great! I don't want to be a burden though."

"It's no problem. What class is it?" she typed quickly, glancing back at him before motioning for him to pass her his schedule.

"Algebra 2, Jeong Jeong, room N-9" he said, glancing at the schedule he held in his hand and handing it to her.

"Great. I have that class too. You can just follow me."  She smiled, turned, and motioned for him to follow alongside her.

As soon as they reached the classroom, she motioned for him to stand next to her as she faced the back of a large black chair that was stationed behind a fair-sized desk. The professor seemed to be on the phone, and as soon as he finished, he turned and looked at Katara with a very blank, almost annoyed, expression.

"This is Aang. He is a new student." She typed to the professor, before turning briefly to set down her books and backpack on a small desk behind her.

The professor only stares at Aang for a moment before saying "To understand any mathematic form, especially Algebra, you must be disciplined and focused. Therefore you must first master discipline itself. You do not seem to want to be disciplined, and therefore you will fail. Unfortunately, I am not allowed to turn away any student, but understand that you will fail without discipline. Dismissed." He turned his chair away and immersed himself into a pile of papers.

Aang stood there, dazed at what had just happened. He felt Katara pull at his forearm and turn him to sit in the desk next to her own. Turning down the volume on her communicator, she typed "He's just like that. Don't worry. You should be fine with this class; he just likes to scare you. Although, I warn you that it is VERY boring. I envy my brother, he has Piandao as his math teacher, I hear he is just as strict, but also a lot more fun at the same time." And with that, the bell rang, and students began to file into the room taking various seats and the conversation was dropped for the time being.

Xxx Xxx Xxx

The rest of the morning went similarly. Aang and Katara have a number of classes together, the only difference is that Aang has 3rd period English with Professor Pakku, while Katara has Professor Tyro.

Lunch was almost entirely uneventful, except for Sokka being extremely wary of the new guy sitting at the table with himself and his sister. Only after Katara had thoroughly explained, multiple times, that he was new and had no one to sit with, did Sokka finally drop the subject. The afternoon was also very uneventful, although the two did get a few very giggly stares from classmates as Katara had accidentally ended up in Aang's lap after tripping over a backpack in 6th period Drawing and Painting with Professor Iroh.

Xxx Xxx Xxx

That afternoon, Katara was quickly sorting through her locker to find her things, so as not to be late for the bus. A voice sounded from behind her open locker door, calling her name, causing her to jump and her heart to skip. It quickly calmed as she looked to see the harmless face of the boy she rescued that same morning. "Hey Katara," he repeated, shuffling his feet nervously. "I just wanted to thank you again, for everything you've done for me today. I'll see you tomorrow." He suddenly raced off with a small wave, not even allowing her to pick up her communicator to return the goodbye.

She shut her locker and walked over towards her brother. Finding him finished at his locker as well, the pair walked in silence to the bus, and continued this manner all the way home. Only after they had passed the threshold of their house did Sokka dare say anything, and what he chose to say shocked her.

"You know, he likes you, a lot" he said nonchalantly, not even looking up from his phone.

She was shocked by this statement a moment, before remembering to take out her precious device and use it. "He doesn't like me, we're just friends. He needed help finding his way around today. Why would you even say such a thing?" She couldn't comprehend what had brought on this random statement. It even made her laugh, almost.

"Oh, I don't know, just a feeling I guess; maybe I'm wrong," he stated as he plopped on the couch in their living room and switched on the TV. _'He's being ridiculous. There isn't even a need for me to justify his comment with a response'_ she huffed, and with that, she picked up her bag and made her way to her bedroom to start her homework, or so her brother thought. She always told him not to disturb her for the first few hours after school, so she could complete her homework in peace. But in reality, she would really practice her water bending. Bending is illegal, and very few people nowadays can actually bend. It's a dying art form, and she only ever told one person that she had this ability, and that was her mother. Not even her brother or her father knew. Their mother had died in their house fire 8 years ago; the same fire that took her voice. This meant that, currently, no one knew.

Katara would spend hours practicing even the simplest of moves, but as she always put it,_ 'it's difficult to teach yourself'_. With bending being illegal, she was never able to find anyone to teach her, and so had chosen to just struggle to teach herself. Afterwards she would finish her homework, and then make her way to the kitchen to cook dinner for herself and her brother, unless it was a night where Gran-Gran chose to visit.

"Sokka, dinner is ready." The computerized voice sounds as she scoops the macaroni and cheese into two large bowls and makes her way to the couch. "Have you heard anything from Dad?" she types, before reaching in to take a bite from her bowl.

"Not since Saturday. He said that this trip might take him a while, he probably will be back around thanksgiving." He responds before sitting himself next to her on the couch, turning on the TV, and furiously shoveling his food into his mouth. _'Ugh'_ she thought in disgust before turning her attention to the TV as well.

Xxx Xxx Xxx

That night, Katara lay awake in bed for hours. Her mind wandered to many things, but one topic kept filling her mind. Aang, the boy she rescued; the boy in the locker. She wondered what would become of them, if they would stay friends, or if he would leave her like many of her past friends. For some reason she had never been able to hold onto any close friends, only acquaintances. She had a feeling about him though. She had something, almost instinct, that was telling her that he was different.

She fell asleep dreaming of Aang, and how he may play into her future.

Xxx Xxx Xxx

**I hope you like it! Please Rate and Review. It will help me to know if I should write more. Any response is good, please. And if you hadn't guessed Aang is 14 and a freshman. Katara will soon be 16 and is a freshman. Sokka is 16 ½ and a sophomore. Other characters ages and grades will be introduced as they come into the story. Please, Please, Please let me know what you think. I really appreciate it!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! So I just wanted to say a few things. 1) I love you all for reviewing, you are amazing! 2) I've decided that this story is going to be updated every Saturday night. So that means that even if it comes out late on Saturday, it will be there by the time you look on Sunday morning **** and if I ever update at any other time during the week, then it's just a bonus. Don't EXPECT it to have more than once a week, although it may quite often. 3) This is going to go through three years of their high school (kind of one for each season). So that means that people like Toph, and Azula won't show up until Aang and Katara's sophomore year. **

**Disclaimer: Kataanglover138 does not own anything to do with anything from ATLA of LOK, although she really wishes she did. If she did, there would have definitely been many more seasons, and "the Promise" series would be longer and have come out much faster. **

Xxx Xxx Xxx

"_**I've just seen a face**_

_**I can't forget the time or place **_

_**Where we just met**_

_**She's just the girl for me**_

_**And I want all the world to see—"**_

Aang pulled himself out of bed with a grin and a skip in his step, meandering across to his desk to shut of the alarm. Wandering downstairs shirtless and in his bright orange pajama pants, he can smell his foster mother making her famous French toast, while his foster father gently plays a tune on his ukulele. It's the same routine almost every morning, as it has been for the past week.

"Morning Char, morning Lily." He cheerfully states, pulling a piece of French toast from a communal dish and slathering it with maple syrup. Oh how it was wonderful to finally be in a household that was also vegetarian, it made things so much easier knowing they would never forget and accidentally try to feed him bacon for breakfast.

Setting down his ukulele, Char joins him at the table. Shortly following, Lily turns off the stove and sits beside him. "So, Aang," Char begins, "after coming home last night, you rushed upstairs and went to bed without dinner. We didn't get to hear anything about how your day went with your new friends. Is everything alright?" He paused, both waiting for an answer, and taking the time to bite into his breakfast.

For a moment, Aang only chose to nod enthusiastically, because his mouth was full of food. A large 'Gulp' could be heard through the room as he swallowed. "Everything's great! I spent the entire afternoon studying with Katara at the library. I'm sorry I came home in such a rush, I was just really tired. My PE teacher, professor Zhao, is a nightmare! He made us all run 6 miles, and that was just our warm-up! It really just exhausted me." He paused to take another enormous bite before continuing, "Anyways, I'm really quite fine. No need to worry about me. Although, if I don't eat fast, I'm going to be late for school!" And with that, the table fell into silence as Aang chose to eat his food at a rapid fire speed, while his foster parents chose to take a much more relaxed pace.

Rushing upstairs, Aang pulled on his clothes for the day; his favorite blue jeans, a red tee-shirt, his white fingerless gloves, and his usual, extra-large, orange jacket. Grabbing his white beanie and backpack from his bedside table, he runs down the stairs and out the door towards school; pulling his beanie on while in the driveway. Although his foster parents may have no idea what his blue tattoos signify, he can't take the chance that no one else in this small town would. _'I can't take any chances. Not everyone is as naïve as Char and Lily. Don't get me wrong, they're great people! They're just not as observant as some. That, or they really just don't care and really are that accepting. Although, with everything I've been through, I can't really afford to think that everyone is like them. No; they are probably just a fluke. I wonder if Katara would accept me like this, or if she would be just like any other. I've never outright told anyone, but those who have figured it out have always shunned me or tried to turn me into the police. She seems different, like I can trust her. I know I've only known her less than a week, but something makes me trust her so greatly already… what is it? What is it about her that is so trustworthy?'_

Lost in his own thoughts, Aang's mind barely registers that he's already arrived on campus, and is partway to his locker. Before he can reach it though, a hand pulls on his shoulder and whirls him around with great force. The same hand, connected to the same person, who left him helpless in that locker on his first day. Looking up, he sees that same malicious, scarred face. "Listen twerp!" the boy says as he holds his forearm to Aang's throat, "stay out of my way, and no one gets hurt. The name is Zuko, and it's my job to make sure that all newbie freshmen know exactly what they are getting into here." Aang struggles from under his arm, as the oxygen supply to his lungs is slowly but steadily shrinking. "Right now, all lower classman answer to me, and next year, the whole school will. You do as I say, and everything will be fine. Understand?" The pressure against Aang's throat increases dramatically.

Aang only nods his head, concentrating on both not blacking out, and not using his powers. He's been able to keep hidden for this long; he's not going to blow it on his first week at a new school. Seeing his nod, Zuko lets go, watching Aang fall and collapse to his knees on the ground, gasping for air. Turning, Zuko only manages a step before professor Iroh walks around the corner, discussing something with a student. He's spotted before he can try to move away.

"Zuko! When are you going to stop this incessant bullying of yours? Get away from that poor boy, and follow me to my office. I need a chat with you, nephew. Come, now." Iroh states with a hint of urgency and disappointment in his voice. Aang is still too preoccupied with filling his lungs with air to notice that the student who had been talking with Iroh was now pulling Aang to stand, supporting much of his weight. "Katara, I trust you can handle helping this young man to Yagoda?" Iroh continues. Aang's eyes snap open at the sound of Katara's name, looking up to see his current 'human crutch'. She nods to Iroh and turns, helping Aang to the main office, while Iroh half drags the complaining Zuko back to his classroom.

The two remained silent during the trip to the nurses office, though all the while Aang felt better and better, soon no longer needing Katara's help to walk. Although his head still felt a little dizzy from the previous lack of oxygen.

Once inside, Aang turns towards her with a smile and a "thanks", before heading into the back room and leaving Katara to her thoughts.

Xxx Xxx Xxx

Aang had been forced to rest on a cot in Yagoda's office for the entirety of 1st and 2nd period, to which he had no complaints. These were two of his least favorite classes, and his only regret was that Katara now had to face the wrath of both Jeong Jeong and Xhao by herself. _'I'll make it up to her when I see her at lunch.' _He thought, as he grabbed his bag and headed to English.

Xxx Xxx Xxx

The rest of the morning had been frightfully dull for Aang. He hadn't seen Katara all morning, not since the incident anyways, and he was getting just a little worried. She normally came to say hi before he entered Spanish at 4th period, but apparently whatever she had been doing had been to important. She wasn't taking a language, for obvious reasons, and so happened to have a free period at that time. _'I wonder if she's mad at me. I have no idea why she would be, but she seemed so distant this morning. Maybe she thinks I'm weak and we shouldn't be friends anymore. She doesn't seem like the type to care, but who am I to say anything. I've only known her a week. Maybe she is sickened by how weak I am. But I'm not weak, I just knew I couldn't fight back, I couldn't endanger myself this early into my new life. Why does this even bother me so much? Why does it matter? She's only one person. No, I know why it matters. Right now, she's my only friend, and I can't lose that. I haven't even had anyone to call a friend since I was friends with Kuzon 4 years ago in Colorado.'_

Aang's thoughts were only heightened as he made his way towards the lunch table where he, Sokka, and Katara always ate. Only this time, Sokka was alone. He motioned for Aang to sit across from him, and the two ate in uncomfortable silence for a moment.

"Do you know where Katara is?"

"Have you seen Katara?"

The two boys tried to break the uneasy silence at the same time, unfortunately confirming that they both only knew as much as the other. After another awkward pause, Sokka decided to break the silence once more. "I haven't seen her since before 3rd period. I passed her in the halls, and she didn't seem to even notice me. It was like she was in a trance or something; she was so absorbed in her own thoughts," Sokka stated. A hint of worry tainted his words, as a look of concern flashed across his face. Yet, it all disappeared as fast as it had come. "Oh, who am I kidding, she's probably just worried about some test that she only got a 97% on instead of 100. She worries way too much about her work." He gave an uneasy laugh before continuing rhetorically, "Am I right?"

"Heh heh, yeah," Aang unconvincingly returned Sokka's uneasy laugh. And the two ate in awkward and uncomfortable silence for another few minutes. All the while, Aang looking to see if he could spot that same, beautiful face somewhere in the cafeteria. The boys eventually had absorbed themselves in their own thoughts so deeply that they barely noticed their savior from the uncomfortable silence marching towards their table, shortly before the end of lunch.

With a 'huff', she sat down next to her brother, dumping her books onto the table. Both boys jumped, yelling "Katara!" excitedly. The flustered girl barely registered the glares from the nearby students, before reaching into her pocket, pulling out that same cherished device, and beginning to type. "Sorry I'm late, I was kinda busy." The words rang monotonously through the air, as the boys stared at her as if she were some otherworldly goddess. Their eyes seemingly begged for more, not wanting to continue the previously agonizing silence, but she seemed unaware. Merely wanting to drop the topic, she hurriedly ate her lunch and dashed off as soon as the bell rang, leaving a pair of confused teens.

With a half-hearted goodbye, Aang rushed towards his locker, before following the swift girl towards their biology classroom, hoping to catch her for a moment to talk. Unfortunately, as he reached the classroom, she was busy discussing something with their science teacher. He sat down in the desk next to her bag and books, and waited patiently for her return to her seat.

Seeing that she was not going to be seated until after class had begun; he tore a piece of paper from the back of his notebook and began to write.

'**Hey, I haven't really talked to you all day. You seemed a little distant and rushed at lunch. Is something wrong?' **He looked anxiously at his words one last time, before setting it on her desk and waiting for her to be seated. _'I hope she answers. If she's mad at me, I don't know what I'd do.'_

His heart dropped as he saw her sit, seemingly ignoring the message. She merely set her book on top of it and began to take notes as their teacher dictated. Aang turned to do the same, but his mind wouldn't allow him to drop the subject completely. Every so often he would steal a glance towards her desk to see if she had chosen to respond, but it was to no avail.

As the bell rang, he began to pack up his things, glancing to see if Katara would be willing to talk now. But she was already gone. He turned back to his bag, and a small piece of paper fluttered over his shoulder and onto his desk. Aang looked up to see the same enthralling girl, who had kept his mind for days now, rushing out the door. Opening the note, he was utterly confused by what it said.

'**I know you're confused, I am too. I can't talk to you right now, or Sokka. But it isn't anything to be worried about. I've got a lot on my mind, and I need to think it all through. Please don't disturb me during the rest of the day; I don't really want to talk to anyone right now. Just know that I should have everything sorted out by tonight. If you want to know what's going on, then meet me around 8:00 in the park on Panda Lily lane.'**

So many thoughts began to churn through Aang's head, he barely managed to pull himself together and make his way to 6th period. _'What is going on? What could be so important that she won't talk to anyone? Why won't she talk to me? Why won't she talk to Sokka at least? They share everything. Why would she need to explain everything to me like this? Is it about me? Does she know?'_

Reaching his destination, he notices Katara sitting in a lone desk towards the back of the room, already having begun work on her project. He takes his usual seat towards the front and begins mind-numbingly working on his project, letting his thoughts resume. _'No, she can't know. What am I thinking? She must be worried about something else… but what?' _

Xxx Xxx Xxx

The rest of the afternoon followed similarly. But as he begins his walk home, barely halfway down the block from the school, he hears his name being called from behind him. Turning, he sees a panting Sokka running towards him.

"Sokka, what is it?"

Catching his breath, and quite flustered, he responds, "Aang, do you know what's wrong with Katara. She isn't being herself. She just told me she wasn't taking the bus home, and had to 'clear her head', whatever that means. When I asked why she was being so weird, all she told me was that I should ask you. So now I am," He cleared his throat and continued in a much calmer voice, with a hint of fatherly sternness. "What have you done to my sister?"

Suddenly quite flustered by Sokka's question, Aang took a moment before answering. "I have… uh... no idea what's up with her. She's probably fine… uh… I guess. She did give me this note though." Rummaging through his backpack, he pulls out the note and hands it to Sokka.

After a while, Sokka looks up quizzically from the paper in his hand. "I see…." He says, before glancing at it one more time, "…well, then you've got to go. Just make sure to give me a full report tomorrow, because I'm sure that she won't tell me. If it was something she was going to tell me, she would have already." Sokka hands back the note, and pulls out his phone, "Oh, Crap! I'm going to be late for the bus!" He consistently gets louder and louder as he jogs, half backwards – half sideways, towards the bus stop, "Just make sure to keep her safe. Davis may be a small town, but you never know what can happen at night." With that, he fully turns, and sprints to the, now leaving, bus. Slightly stunned at the reaction he received, he watches as Sokka waves to the driver causing him to stop and let him on.

Snapping out of his trance, Aang again finds himself alone with his thoughts as he walks home.

Xxx Xxx Xxx

Aang waits impatiently on a large, wooden bench in the park. **[8:07] **his phone reads, as he nervously pulls at the collar of his jacket. It may only be the beginning of October, but it's already cooled off tremendously for the year. _'Where is she?' _His impatient thoughts ring through his head. _'She should be here!' _Right as that thought crosses his mind, he sees a slender, feminine figure walking from across the park. He instantly knows who it is, and stands, awaiting her arrival.

"Sorry I'm late." The mechanical words ring through the crisp night air. She glances at him uncomfortably, before taking a seat and motioning for him to do the same.

"It's alright," he responds, waiting for her to continue. The two teens seem equally nervous, but for quite different reasons. After some silence, he realizes it's going to take some prompting for her to speak, "What's going on, Katara? Everything seemed great yesterday, but today, you seemed so distant. Is everything alright?"

Taking a deep breath, she looks down towards her feet, wringing her hands nervously. After a moment, she picks up her communicator and begins to type. For an instant, she looks deep into his stormy eyes; thoughts flooding her mind. Her clear, azure eyes were laced with anxiety and stress. You could see she had almost brought herself to tears, worrying over her thoughts. Pressing 'enter', she reaches towards the white hat currently covering his bald head, letting the words fall through the silence of the night.

"I know you're an air bender."

Xxx Xxx Xxx

**Oooh! Cliffhanger (sort of). I hope you enjoyed it! I've already decided to start working on the next chapter tonight, so it may be out today or tomorrow, but don't get your hopes up. If not, then it will be out next Saturday as promised. Review please! I love hearing your comments! Even if it's criticism, it always pushes me to work harder. Let me know if there are any inconsistencies or anything too! And if you guess where I got the names for Aang's foster parents, you win a prize. What prize, you ask? Well, nothing really, just a virtual high-five! **


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys! Updated on Saturday, as promised! I hope you like it. Oh, and a Virtual High-Five to RandomPow3r for both guessing correctly, and for making me decide to go back and re-watch the episode. I realized that I got Chong's name wrong, haha, my bad. So from now on, it'll be Chong, not Char. And for those of you who didn't know, they are the nomads that the gang met in 'the Cave of Two Lovers'. Anyways, you're probably all yelling at me to get on with the story now, so here goes. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender**

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**Previously on MTJAPF:**

"_It's alright," he responds, waiting for her to continue. The two teens seem equally nervous, but for quite different reasons. After some silence, he realizes it's going to take some prompting for her to speak, "What's going on, Katara? Everything seemed great yesterday, but today, you seemed so distant. Is everything alright?"_

_Taking a deep breath, she looks down towards her feet, wringing her hands nervously. After a moment, she picks up her communicator and begins to type. For an instant, she looks deep into his stormy eyes; thoughts flooding her mind. Her clear, azure eyes were laced with anxiety and stress. You could see she had almost brought herself to tears, worrying over her thoughts. Pressing 'enter', she reaches towards the white hat currently covering his bald head, letting the words fall through the silence of the night. _

"_I know you're an air bender."_

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Aang's eyes grow wide in fear and shock. He opens his mouth to say something, but quickly stops. He snatches his hat from her hands, yanking it onto his head. One word escapes from his mouth: "no". He says it with so much sadness and fear, it's heartbreaking. A tear slips down his face.

'_Oh no!' _she thinks. _'He's so afraid.'_ She reaches for her communicator to type more, wanting him to know it was alright, but in the middle of her action she feels a light breeze flutter through her hair. Looking up, she sees the young air bender, her friend, running down the path. _'NO!'_ She mentally screams at herself for not clarifying first. Jumping to her feet, she follows him down the path. _'He'll hate me now! I have to go find him. I have to explain.'_

She can't see him anymore, but she knows where he'll go. She makes her way over to the large slide this park is known for. She can hear faint sobs coming from the very top of the long set of stairs, obscured by the trees that line its sides. Reaching the top, she sees him crumpled with sadness. Head to his knees, sobbing, letting the tears stream down his face and stain his clothes. His hands wrapped around his shins so tightly, it seemed as if he were trying to shrink himself into oblivion. Her heart melted at the sight.

She reached out to place a comforting hand on his shoulder, but he cringed at the touch. He looked up with fear, and sadness tormenting his eyes. _'Those eyes, they aren't the same. He needs to understand.'_ But before she can say or do anything, he speaks. Pure, raw emotion fills his voice.

"Where are they? Have fun with your reward money as I rot in jail for nothing! Who did you tell? The local police? Or did you go straight to the Feds themselves?" He was almost shouting. Emotion laced his voice in what can only be described as terror…and anger? Much more quietly, almost to himself, he adds, "Never mind, it doesn't matter. Either way, the outcome is the same. I finally found a place that's been good for me, that I can be myself in, but I guess it was just too good to be true…." He fades off, too quietly for Katara to hear, and places his head back in his knees.

She holds her communicator out, but is at a loss for words. Finally, an idea strikes her. She places a hand on his cheek and lifts his face, forcing his eyes to hers. Then, she reaches out to bend the tears out of his soaked clothing, combining it into a small blob hovering in between them. Seeing his shocked expression, she releases the water, allowing it to trickle down the side of the staircase towards the ground below them.

"Wha—" He starts, but is cut off by the electronic drone of her communicator.

"I'm not going to turn you in, that would be a cruel and terrible thing to do, especially to a friend. I'm a water bender, if you hadn't already figured that out. Please don't tell anyone, not even Sokka knows." She looks at him with sorrow, but also… hope? Her eyes glisten, on the verge of tears. Finally breaking eye contact, she continues to type, while trying to blink away the tears at the same time. "I know I've only known you for a short while, but you're already my best friend. I trust you so much, and I would never do anything to hurt you. You know that, right?" She looks up again, fewer tears in her eyes, but they are still present, glistening at the corners.

Aang looks back with both disbelief and amazement. Suddenly, he tackles her in a bone-crushing hug, knocking her backwards slightly. "I know, I know. I don't know why I doubted you. I was just so scared! Please forgive me Katara! I'll never doubt you again, you're my best friend, and you always will be. As long as I have any say about it." Finally letting go, he leans backwards, off of her. Both teens now have tears streaming down their faces. She can only nod in response, her hands unable to communicate anything she would ever want to say.

'_Curse my vocal cords!' _She thinks, but he seems to understand everything she might want to say. They sit there in comfortable silence for a moment, just taking the time to calm themselves after such a rush of high-strung emotions. Finally, Aang decides to break the calm.

"When did you… I mean… how did you figure it out? I thought I was being so careful." He says it with some hesitancy, almost as if he doesn't want to know, but his curiosity has gotten the better of him. Maybe he slipped up and others have noticed to. Katara may not be the only one who knows.

"I only realized this morning, and no one else has. You have nothing to worry about…."

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_**Flashback**_

"_Why Katara, you have nothing to worry about," Professor Iroh stated kindly. "Your current project is beautiful, as always," he smiled warmly. "And as for the oral presentation, why don't you make it a written essay instead, if that's alright?"_

"_Thank you Professor! I—"__ the words continued, but neither paid any attention, for they were listening to the scuffling noise coming from around the corner. Iroh sped up considerably, almost running around the corner. Katara followed quickly behind, finally seeing what Iroh was so worried about. _'Aang!' _She thought. The boy was leaning over himself, breathing heavily, and Zuko was eagerly trying to flee the scene. Unfortunately for him, he was out of luck. _

"_I should have known," Iroh mumbles, mostly to himself. Continuing, he states "Zuko! When are you going to stop this incessant bullying of yours? Get away from that poor boy and follow me to my office. I need to chat with you, nephew. Come, now." _

_Katara rushes past the arguing pair, supporting Aang and pulling him to his feet. _'What is that?' _She thinks to herself, referring to the blue, arrow-shaped tattoo peeking from below Aang's currently dislodged beanie. But just like that, it's gone, as Aang distractedly adjusts it, while still struggling to_ _catch his breath._ _Pulling herself from her thoughts, she hears Iroh's voice. "…helping this young man to Yagoda?" Nodding, she focuses on helping her friend across campus._

'It must have been a mistake. Who would have a bright blue tattoo on their forehead?' _She tries to convince herself of her mistake, only to see a flash of blue out of the corner of her eye. Aang had his arm wrapped around her shoulder, with her hand around his own, as a way to try to support him. Casually, she peers towards his wrist. His jacket is being stretched oddly around her shoulder, and has become dislodged. She sees a stripe of pale turquoise blue running across his wrist about a 3/4 inch wide, and who knows how long. _'What is that? I know I've seen it somewhere.' _She only barely acknowledges his disappearance as he goes inside. _

_**End Flashback**_

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"…I then spent 4th period and lunch in the library," she pauses. She looks up at him, only to see his face almost blank. The only expression, given away by his eyes: curiosity. She takes a deep breath before continuing. "Before I keep going, I have a question. I know that currently, air benders aren't even allowed into the United States. Supposedly, all air benders are either in jail, or dead. That is, except for one. One that has been tracked for years now, but no one can find him. So I'm asking you, Aang, are you the Avatar?" She then looks up again, only to see a small look of surprise flash across his face, vanishing as quickly as it came. It is soon replaced by one of melancholy …And guilt?

He nervously looked away from her, trying desperately to look anywhere except her eyes. The eyes that could seemingly draw him out of himself and make him acknowledge every part of himself; including those he wants to bury. He sighs, "Yes, I am. No one knows, not even my foster parents. I was hoping to keep it that way."

She scoots closer to him from where she is seated. Placing a hand in his, she presses 'enter' on her communicator once more allowing more words to flow through the air monotonously. "I thought so. Thank you for trusting me so much. It truly means a lot to me. That's what I discovered at lunch. I mean, I already knew about the air benders and the Avatar, but I had forgotten that aster air benders had those blue tattoos. Once I realized this, I just needed time to wrap my head around the idea. I mean, my best friend, the Avatar; it's not exactly something you discover every day." She gave him a warm smile and gently squeezed his hand. He seemed to understand, but continues to listen to the words pour through the air without disruption. "I never had any intention of hurting you, I only needed time. This afternoon, I finally understood. The Avatar may be a part of you, but it does not change who you are. You're still the fun-loving Aang that I know, and I shouldn't let some title get in the way of our friendship; even if you are the 'Most Powerful Being in The World'." As the final words fall through the silence, she smiles brightly. The gesture is returned, and she motions for him to stand.

She looks down at her phone.** [8:53] **She turns her phone towards him, and he acknowledges. "I'll walk you home," he states. He moves towards the path, but Katara's hand catches his wrist, causing him to turn and face her again. He looks at her quizzically.

"I was wondering if you could show me bending of the other elements, you know, with you being the Avatar and all. I've only ever seen water bending, and that's only been my own." Her eyes plead, shining with excitement. _'Please, please, please, please, please!'_ He nodded. _'YES!'_

"But I have to let you know, I don't know much of the others. I have mastered air bending, but I only know the basics of everything else. I haven't really been able to find anyone to teach me. I just don't want you to be disappointed." She nods enthusiastically, beginning to bounce with excitement.

Aang then bended a small stone from the ground, causing it to twirl and weave through his fingers. "I know the least Earth bending. It's been hard for me to teach anything to myself, probably because it's the opposite of my natural element." He drops the stone and then snaps his fingers. A small flame springs from his fingertip. Spreading it, he now has fire flickering atop all four fingers. Glowing and dancing wildly. Katara's eyes grew wide, and her hand reached out to touch it, as if to ask _'Is it hot?'_, but he quickly dissipates it, and shaking his head. "I don't want to burn you," he says sternly. He then creates a small vortex between his two hands, air spinning faster and faster. He delicately bends it towards the girl, who currently stands frozen with curiosity and amazement. The air flutters through her hair gently, before wrapping around her arm and disappearing in the palm of her hand.

She immediately threw herself into his arms, pulling him into a bone-crushing hug. Leaning back, she begins to bounce wildly with excitement again, a large grin across her face. "That was amazing!" She continues to bounce with excitement. Her eyes as wide as a kid in a candy store.

He chuckles at her excitement, and the expression on her face. "Alright, alright. Stop bouncing," he continues to giggle lightly. "I really need to take you home now. Sokka must be worried sick." She nods, and they start their stroll towards Katara's home.

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When they reached Katara's house, she invited him inside for dinner. Gran-Gran wouldn't be over tonight, seeing as it was a Friday, and she always met with her friends on Friday nights. Sokka was in the living room playing video games, and so Katara took Aang to the kitchen so she could talk to him while she cooked. Sokka had barely acknowledged their entrance, but Aang knew that was only because of their discussion earlier that afternoon.

"Sokka, what do you want for dinner?" She turns the volume up so her brother can hear it through the door way and over the background noise of the 'pause menu' of his game.

"Anything, it doesn't matter. Just remember, Zuko is here tonight too. So it will be all four of us." Katara scrunches her brow in frustration, _'How the two of them can be friends, I'll never know'_. She looks to see Aang visibly tense. _'Oh, right! This morning! I should explain.'_ With so many other things on her mind today, she had forgotten to tell him.

"Aang, there is nothing to worry about. Sokka and Zuko are friends, and they just try to 'haze' all of the new freshman as a joke. They actually met because Zuko tried it on Sokka last year, but fought back with his math textbook. They bonded over the detention they had together. Zuko won't bother you after today, don't worry." Aang seems to relax slightly with this knowledge, but not completely. Katara decides to drop the topic for the time being. Just then, they hear a loud 'flush' of the toilet, and Zuko emerges from the bathroom.

Strolling through the kitchen to the living room, he spoke, "Hey Sokka! You better not have tried to kill me while—" Stopping mid-sentence, he sees the new arrivals. "Hey Katara!" he said sweetly. "Hey Twerp!" he said sourly, before breaking out in laughter and clapping his hand on Aang's back. "Ah, I'm just kidding. Sorry about earlier, it's just a thing all the upper graders do to the freshman. No hard feelings man." And with that, he left the room and strolled towards Sokka, who was now impatiently waiting in the doorway.

'_Glad that's over!'_ "So, Aang, what would you like for dinner?" She smiles sweetly at him before turning towards the sink to wash her hands.

"Umm… I don't know. I'll eat anything, as long as it's vegetarian." He smiles sheepishly, "I hope that's not a problem."

"None at all. I think I'm in the mood for spaghetti, does that sound good? I'll make sure to 'forget' the meatballs. Sokka can deal without his precious meat for one night" She laughs inwardly at the thought of Sokka's future temper tantrum, but she knows he can't complain if he isn't the one cooking.

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Dinner was fairly uneventful, although Sokka spent the entire time glancing curiously at Aang. There seemed to be some silent communication going on, but Katara had no idea what it was about. Aang was very wary of Zuko, but slowly loosened up over time. By the end, the friends were laughing, smiling, and in general, having a good time.

Shortly after, Zuko left. His uncle called him home. While Aang cleared the dishes off the table, Katara washed them, and Sokka sat in the living room again. He turned on the news, seeing if anything interesting was happening. The other two shortly joined him.

"…**and in other news, mayor Edwin M. Lee of San Francisco's house caught fire this afternoon. Luckily, his family escaped unscathed, but some are beginning to suspect arson, as this is the 3****rd**** government house fire in 2 weeks. An investigation is being conducted, but so far there is no evidence to support this theo—" **

"Well that's depressing**.**" Sokka states, as he turns off the television. "I'm heading off to bed, I'll see you in the morning Katara, bye Aang." With a yawn and a stretch, Sokka heads up the stairwell.

"I should probably head off too, my foster parents are probably worried sick. Text me tomorrow Katara, I don't think I have any plans." He smiles and gives her a hug. Turning towards the door, she catches his wrist for the second time that night to stop him. He looks at her with a confused smile, waiting for her to say something. She smiles, a slight blush creeping up her cheeks. "Thanks for trusting me with… you know. Goodnight." As the words ring through the air, she leans over and gently kisses his cheek, before swiftly turning and following her brother up the stairs, allowing him to let himself out.

He stands there, stunned for a moment; hand on his cheek where her lips had touched. Shaking himself out of his trance, he turns and leaves, completely oblivious to the girl's watchful eyes as she peers around the corner at the top of her stairwell.

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**There you go! Hope you liked it! This was by far, the hardest to write yet. It's also the longest, by a little. Please R and R. It's what keeps me going. Oh, and just to let you know, so that no one will be mad at me until later, there will be heavily implied KatAang for a while, like what was above. But it will be at least a little while before there is any official KatAang. Don't get mad, it will get there eventually. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey Everyone! So this is EARLY! 3 day early! Yay! I hope it makes everyone happy. It makes me happy. Thanks for all the reviews, it's what helped inspire me to put this out early, so please keep it up. **

**To 'Guest', because I can't PM you, I'm not mute. Sadly (or probably fortunately) I don't even know anyone who is mute. It's just that I've always been kind of fascinated by it. I don't really know why. I hope that answers you question. **

**And to 'Davisite', Zuko will become a bigger part later, but right now, he's just a bit character. It won't stay like that for long though, I like Zuko as a character too much to do that. You'll find out all about him and their relationships with him later. **

**Just to let you know, this is kind of a Sokka-centric chapter. There shouldn't be too many of these in the future though. **

**And without further ado…**

**Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own A: TLA, or anything to do with A: TLA. Although I am pretty obsessed with it, and certainly did wish I owned it. **

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"**This time, I wonder what it feels like**

**To find the one in this life, the one we all dream of**

**But dreams just aren't enough**

**So I'll be waiting for the real thing, I'll know it by the feeling**

**The moment when we're meeting, will play out like a scene**

**Straight off the silver screen**

**So I'll be holding my breath, right up 'til the end**

**Until that moment when, I find the one that I'll spend forever with**

**Cause nobody wants to be the last one there**

**Cause everyone wants to feel like someone cares**

**Someone to love with my life in their hands**

**There's gotta be somebody for me like th—"**

A hand placed on Sokka's shoulder caused him to jump and give off a very _feminine _squeal. Turning from the confusing Chemistry homework in front of him, he sees his good friend standing at his side and setting his bag down on the table he currently sits at in the library. "Oh, hey Haru. I wasn't expecting to see you now, don't you have English?" Sokka questioned, removing the hood of his navy sweatshirt, pulling his earphones out of his ears, and pausing the music on his phone.

"Yeah man, but I told my dad I had extra work to do for that Chemistry lab, and he let me out. Positives of having your dad as a teacher," the tall sophomore stated with a grin bordering on a smirk. "He said I could come here, and I saw you were working on it, so I thought I'd see what's up with you. Maybe we can work together, I have no idea what's going on with it. Chemistry fries my brain to ash." The boy let out an exacerbated groan and sat down across from Sokka. His long brown hair fanning around him as ha placed his forehead to the table briefly, before sitting up and pulling out his work.

Sokka sighed as he wrapped his earphones around his phone and tucked it into the front pocket of his jeans. "I wish I could help you man, but I have no idea either. Man, the Mechanist is a cool teacher and all, but for some reason, Chem makes only about half as much sense as Bio, and you know how I did last year. I'm hoping Physics will be better next year." Frustrated, Sokka turned his attention to the papers in front of him, gently massaging his temples and trying to make his growing headache disappear. "Maybe we can fail together? I mean, think about it. If we can convince everyone in our class to not turn it in, then maybe he'll remove the assignment and we'll all pass," his voiced laced with sarcasm, grew humorous as he proposed his _very _improbable idea.

Haru laughed lightly as he pulled off his olive green jacket, "Yeah, you try that". He peered at the papers a moment before sighing and tucking them back into his tan notebook. "You know what, why don't we forget about it, and I'll ask Teo to help me later. He'll probably help, I mean, us 'teacher's kids' have to stick together, right? Let's talk. I haven't really talked to you much outside of class in a while Sokka. How have you been?" His voice, still light and cheerful, showed only curiosity.

Sokka quickly followed Haru's example, and put away his chemistry lab, opting to finish it later. "I've been good actually. Though, my sister, on the other hand, has been acting so weird lately. I guess she's just getting used to high school. How've you been? How's practice going?"

Haru nodded. "I've been good; life's been good. Football has been tough, but that's to be expected. JV is much harder than Junior High was." Haru checked the time, **[11:52]**. "Oh, lunch'll start any minute. You mind if I join you, I still want to catch up," Haru asked, while placing his brown backpack over his shoulder and standing.

As if on que, the bell rang loudly. Sokka mimicked Haru, standing and slinging his black backpack over his shoulder. "It's cool; no problem. You can join; let's go find Katara and Aang. Zuko is eating with his Uncle today."

The pair wandered across campus, discussing old memories, school gossip, and generally catching up. When they reached Sokka's usual table, Aang and Katara were already seated. The two seemed distracted by whatever they were discussing, and didn't notice the two sophomores until they had almost reached the table. "… then come by after school, and we'll work on it," the droll sound of Katara's communicator rang through the air as she paused to take a bite of her sandwich.

"Work on what?" Haru asked, while he and Sokka sat down at the remaining two sides of the square table.

Katara looked up, slightly surprised. A bright smile grew on her face. "Oh, hi Haru, it's good to see you." Katara typed while a small blush crept up her cheeks. She quickly added, "We have a math assignment that we're partnered for," her eyes shifted nervously as she anxiously tugged at the sleeve of her sweater. '_She's lying, but why? What would she need to hide? Maybe it's just because of Haru. Oh well, I'll keep an eye on them when we get home'_ Sokka thought.

Aang coughed loudly, obviously uncomfortable. Katara jumped, as she had found herself staring. She quickly typed, "Oh, forgive me. Aang, this is Haru. Haru, this is Aang. Haru and Sokka have been good friends since elementary school. We all went to the same junior high, which is where I met Haru." She then turned to address Haru, glancing up before typing, "Haru, Aang's a fairly new student, and a freshman like me." Haru smiled at Katara warmly, and Sokka couldn't help but notice her cheeks flush again. _'Ugh, she's been crushing on him since, like, the 7__th__ grade. When is she going to realize he's not into her? He's still crushing on that other girl. What's her name….? …Sen? …Sai? …Song? Yeah, that's it. Song, he likes her. Haha, too bad she'll never like him.'_ Sokka chuckled to himself. The same action Sokka noted didn't go unnoticed by Aang either, for his previously wide grin has become a small scowl as he entertains himself with his food. Katara was completely oblivious.

"So what's new with you Katara, we haven't talked in ages. Not since the beginning of summer at least." Haru said before pulling his lunch from his backpack. Katara began to describe the rest of her summer, and her school year. Sokka was obviously bored, as he had been present for most of it. Aang, on the other hand, was trying to act disinterested, but was having a hard time. He couldn't help but be drawn to look to her anytime that same robotic voice flew through the air, splitting any silence like a hot knife through butter.

Sooner than expected, the bell rang, and Sokka quickly left, leaving the good byes to the others. _'Now I just have to get through math. That shouldn't be too difficult.'_ He smiled to himself, full of thoughts of his favorite teacher and his favorite class.

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PE was probably Sokka's favorite and least favorite class (aside from chemistry, that was definitely his least favorite. And math, that was definitely his favorite). He did not like the forced physical exercise. He'd much rather do that on his own time. But he did enjoy showing off in front of _the ladies_. One in particular often caught his attention. He didn't even know her name, because she was not in his PE class. She has the other teacher, and so even though they share the same period, their classes rarely share activities. He had figured out that she was on both the Gymnastics team and the Dance team, because he had seen her practice for gymnastics once after school, and she once wore her dance outfit to PE because she had forgotten to bring a change of clothes.

He found her fascinating. The way she moved was so graceful. Her short brown hair complimented her deep blue eyes perfectly. Her eyes were so blue; some may even say they were violet.

Walking over to join Haru and a few other friends outside the locker room, he couldn't take his eyes off of her. She was standing across the large gym, with a group of friends, laughing and smiling. _'Oh, her smile is so beautiful.' _He couldn't help but grin to himself. Unfortunately though, his thoughts were interrupted by Haru. "What are you smiling about?" Haru followed his gaze towards the girl, and a knowing smile grew on his own face. "You like her, don't you?"

Sokka's face grew red, and he _tried_ to deny it. "What? ...No! Why would you say that? I don't even know her." He was flustered, and felt his face flush even more as he glanced over and saw her laugh at something a friend said, before taking a step back and doing a set of 3 slightly different cartwheels, finishing in the splits. She then continued to giggle as she stood up and wandered back to her friends. The two were most likely discussing different techniques, because her friend soon followed suit, mimicking her. He sighed _'No denying it, I guess. Might as well try to get information about her. I don't even know her name.'_

"Ok, maybe I do like her a little. I mean, she's obviously attractive." He glanced nervously at her again before turning his body slightly so that his back now faced her, hoping to remove the distraction.

"I figured you would have already talked to her, you're not usually the shy type," Haru teased. A small smirk traced his lips, before he continued. "Her name is Suki, and she's a sophomore like us. She's part of that group, the ones that are on both the gymnastics and dance teams. They're all good friends. I can't remember what they call themselves. Anyways, she's in our Chem class, I'm surprised you haven't noticed." His smirk only grew as he stated the last part.

Sokka could only stand in shock for a moment before speaking, "Suki…" he mumbled happily. "The Kyoshi Warriors… they call themselves the Kyoshi warriors." He was surprised as he heard the words leave his mouth. _'I didn't even know I knew that.' _Shaking his head to clear his mind, he grew slightly frustrated with the fact his friend was taking a large amount of pleasure in his disconcertion. "Why didn't you say that sooner? Why have I not noticed her?" He demanded, slightly louder than he was expecting.

Haru only smiled wider. "You sit in the front, she sits in the back. I guess you just never thought about it. I didn't realize it's such a big deal." The last part was stated, dripping with sarcasm. He shrugged as the two heard professor Zhao shout for everyone to sit in their correct seats on the gym floor so that he could take role. The conversation ended briefly, as the two friends sat apart from each other because of their last names. With the last name of 'Chen', Haru sat very near the front, while 'Kesuk' left Sokka near the middle.

Haru and Sokka were able to continue their conversation after Zhao announced that it would be free choice for the day, because the plans for football on the field were canceled due to rain. The choice was either basketball in the large gym, or weight-lifting in the weight room that branched off the side of the smaller gym. Only a select few chose the latter option.

"You should talk to her Sokka. As far as I've heard, she's nice enough." Haru was obviously trying to egg him on, hoping to watch something hilarious occur. Sokka tended to attract trouble and embarrassment. _'What could I possible do to embarrass myself though, it's just basketball.'_ He dragged Haru towards the girls currently playing a friendly game of 3 on 3.

"Excuse me ladies, but do you mind if we join?" Sokka said with a _very_ confident attitude. Haru just shook his head, already embarrassed for his friend. The girls looked at Sokka, a few giggled, and Suki stepped forward.

She held the ball on her hip, and stated with a false innocence, "Oh, why would you want to play with a bunch of girls like us?" She smirked, but it seemed to go unnoticed by Sokka. He began to stretch exaggeratedly.

"Well, all the other hoops are taken." He paused for a moment to twist his back to stretch it out. "Plus, I thought I might be able to show you a few moves. I haven't played in a while, but I was the best on the team at my junior high," he bragged.

"Oh were you?" She played along, amused at Sokka's obliviousness, "Girls, why don't we let these strong men show us how to play?" Her voice was caked with false innocence, as her friends followed suit with a few responses of 'sure' and 'why not?'. She roughly bounced the ball towards him, and the other girls and Haru backed off, allowing them a one-on-one moment.

Sokka was taken aback for an instant by the amount of force placed on the pass, before smirking and saying, "So, I'm going to try to score, and you're going to try to block me, alright?" _'I'll go easy on her, I mean, she is a girl. How good can she be?'_

Suki nodded, and Sokka took a deliberately slow dribble towards the hoop, expecting an easy lay-up. Suffice to say, Sokka was surprised when he found himself on the ground, with Suki dribbling the ball and scoring. She had easily blocked his shot and taken the ball for herself. He huffed as he stood up. _'Well, that was unexpected. Fine, no going easy.' _Sokka took the ball to the 3-point line once more, but this time, he tried not to let his thoughts of her being a girl get in the way. '_She's just another opponent.' _This time, he tried to fake around her, and push his way past through her shoulder. His frustration made him clumsy, and she dodged his shoulder, causing him to fall off balance. He tripped over his own two feet, and she snatched the ball mid dribble, quickly moving outside the 3-point and back, scoring easily while he was still on the ground. The girls all laughed, and joined her on the court to continue their game, while Sokka sulked off towards the side wall. Haru followed him with another smirk on his face.

Sokka slumped against the wall. "Oh! Would you wipe that grin off your face already! I know you just wanted a show! Well, you got one!" Haru's face quickly changed as he realized this incident obviously affected his friend more than he had previously thought. He sat down next to Sokka, pausing a moment before speaking.

"Relax man, it's no big deal. She's really athletic; don't let it get to you. That sort of thing could've happened to the best of us." He patted Sokka's shoulder, "Just forget about her, no reason to get worked up about it. I mean, you said so yourself, you barely know her." With that, Haru got up and joined some of his other friends, leaving Sokka to his thoughts.

'_He's right. Why does it matter so much? She's just another girl. She beat me; so what? …Ugh! But I can't just let it go. Why was I such a jerk? I just assumed that she wouldn't be any good because she was a __**girl**__! Since when have I been so sexist?!'_ "Everyone hit the lockers!" Zhao's voice interrupted his thoughts briefly, but as he made his way towards the locker rooms, he discovered a way to make everything better.

Xxx Xxx Xxx

In Chemistry the following period, Sokka set his plan in motion. Partway through class, he got up to go to the bathroom. As he passed Suki's seat, he left a small note on her desk,

**Can I talk to you after class? I want to apologize.**

**Yes No**

On his way back, Sokka picked the note up off her desk. She avoided his gaze as he walked by. He had to refrain from shouting with delight when he saw she'd circled yes. Quietly smiling to himself as he sat in his seat, he was unable to pay attention to anything the Mechanist was saying.

After class, he waited outside the door for Suki to exit. She looked at him impatiently. "I have practice in 10 minutes, so make it quick." She seemed rather annoyed.

'_Here goes nothing.'_ "Suki, I'm sorry for the way I acted. It was rude and uncalled for. I was being sexist and a jerk and I don't know what came over me. I hope you'll forgive me, because I really want to be friends." Her gaze softened dramatically as he spoke. He shuffled his feet nervously, avoiding her eyes.

"Sokka, I forgive you." She smiled as his expression changed to one of pure joy.

"You do?! Yes!" He smiled at her brightly, before checking his phone. His face dropped slightly, **[3:36]**, but it rose again as he looked up to see her observing him thoughtfully. "Well I'll let you get to practice. You won't regret this."

She turned towards the dance room, calling over her shoulder, "I better not! See you tomorrow."

Sokka thinks to himself as he walks towards his locker, _'Today's has been a good day.'_ Little did he know what was to come.

Xxx Xxx Xxx

**What's coming? Is it going to be good or bad? You'll have to wait to find out (Maniacal laugh). If you haven't noticed, I kind of like opening chapter's with music that kind of pertain to what the chapter is about/ will lead to. Let me know if you guys like that, or not. If you hate it, I'll try to stop. I think it's a growing habit. And sorry this doesn't really have much (or any) KatAang, it's pretty much a Sokka-centric chapter, but is kind of has to be. We're still in the introductory chapters (I know, STILL?) It'll probably have a few more like this, I'm not sure. Action will come soon though! Don't give up on me! Anyways, rate and review please; let me know what you think. It helps inspire me. **


	5. Chapter 5

Ok, so here it is! It's a little short, but that will be compensated for later. And sorry for he longer wait. Technically I'm not behind schedule, but my last chapter was early, and I didn't get a chance to put another out last Saturday because I spent all weekend working on my amazing Halloween costume. So, sorry for the wait. Here it is.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything A:tLA except for my copy of the promise trilogy. I wish I did, but I don't.

Xxx Xxx Xxx

The group of friends was not-so-calmly sitting at their square lunch table. Aang and Katara on one side, Zuko across from them, Sokka on Katara's left, and Haru across from him. Haru had been eating with the group every day this week, and Zuko finally was able to get out of his lunches with his uncle. He loves his uncle, yes, but it doesn't mean he always has to eat lunch with him. Iroh somehow always finds a way to 'guilt-trip' him into it, just not today.

Haru was looking rather bored and uninterested with the conversation currently taking place at their table, although he had jumped in here and there to state his opinion. Zuko similarly looked disinterested, although he also had a hint of a pained expression on his face. Maybe it was just Katara's imagination. She couldn't pay much attention to either boy, as she was busy arguing with her brother over some random topic, again.

"… I'm just saying, there's not much to it. It's still early in fall, and we haven't had much rain this year," Sokka stated pointedly.

Katara gives him a very annoyed look. "What does that have anything to do with it?" she asks, making sure to make her irritation noticed.

"I'm saying, they were probably fires started in dry grass in backyards or something, nothing to be worried about. The police say that there is nothing to worry about, so there is NOTHING to worry about. So far, there is no evidence proving arson."

"But they know that it started in the house every time, not outside where a brush fire would happen."

"Ok, so all we know is our government is careless and growing more stupid by the day. For all we know, they could have started with kitchen fires, or a faulty plug. There is no proof otherwise."

"But they have no proof that any of that is true. In one house, it just started in the middle of the room, with no evidence of what started it. I'm telling you, it has to be a fire bender, or multiple."

"Sis, how many times do I have to tell you, benders don't exist!" Sokka's voice grew sharper with each word. "They are just crazies who happen to be pyromaniacs. Bending isn't real. The idea is just a fantasy told to kids to help fuel their imagination, and nothing more."

Katara's expression became even more exasperated and she looks as if she would argue all day to get her point through Sokka's head, but as she looks down to type she's stopped by Aang's hand on her communicator. He quickly jumped back into the conversation, giving a sharp look to Katara as he spoke. "I suppose you're right Sokka," he gives an uneasy laugh. "Benders don't exist, and we shouldn't worry about this. It doesn't concern us. So what, there been half a dozen fires in less than a month, but it has nothing to do with us. So can we please just stop arguing?" He waits a moment for the two siblings to nod, before changing the subject. "How about we just discuss homecoming? I mean, it is this Friday."

Sokka gave one final irritated look towards his sister, before brightening at Aang. "I suppose we should all go as one big group. I'm glad they canceled the dance this year, that way everyone can just focus on what's important: the game."

'_Oh, he's just such an idiot sometimes! I'm glad Aang stopped me before I went on. This is exactly why I can't tell Sokka about me. He'll always try to rationalize things, even if that means he sends me to an insane asylum for thinking I can bend. Ugh! And he's just happy because he knows that he can cuddle up to Suki when it's cold at the game, and he won't embarrass himself with his lack of dance skills. Now he's going to put all of us on Zuko because he's the only one that can drive, I just know it.'_

Sokka continued his miniature monologue, interrupting Katara's thoughts. "… So, Zuko, do you think you could drive us all to the game? You know, since you're the only one who can." Zuko merely shrugged and nodded, turning his attention back to his apparently fascinating lunch. Sokka, taking that as an enough of an answer, continued. "If no one objects strongly," Sokka looked directly at Katara, "I think I'll invite Suki to join us."

Katara pulled out her communicator, as if to say something, but seemingly decided against it. She just bit her lip and put it back into her pocket. _'It's not that I object to Suki, she's very nice. I just can't see what she might even see in him. Grrr! Whatever! It's not my problem.'_ Aang looked at her and seemed to understand the problem, merely reaching over to squeeze her hand reassuringly, before returning his attention to, the still monologuing, Sokka.

The rest of lunch was fairly uneventful, with the occasional squabble between siblings, a mediating _(A/N: not med__**ita**__ting, med__**iat**__ing)_ Aang, a distracted Haru, and an unusually quiet Zuko.

Xxx Xxx Xxx

After school, Katara sat happily on the bus, excited to return to her current event for thrill: water bending with Aang. She would meet him afterschool, and they would practice their bending in the backyard. Sokka was too oblivious or too careless enough to ever notice. He would spend all afternoon playing videogames and eating junk food. She would just slip out of her window in shortly after arriving home, and he would think she was up there all afternoon.

No sooner had she placed her bag on her desk and removed her coat, had the familiar 'tap tap' on her window sounded through the room. _'Always on time.'_ she thought, as she slid open her window and reached to catch the stone currently flying towards her window. She set it on her window sill before stretching towards the familiar branch of the cherry tree. Dexterously, she climbed down and greeted Aang with a wave before immediately removing the cover atop the hot tub in their backyard.

She pouted suddenly. _'I left my communicator in my room, what a pain. Now I have to climb back up.' _Aang obviously read her facial expression, for he just smiled widely. He caught her attention with a wiggle of his eyebrows, and quietly says, "Looking for something?" His voice holds lighthearted mischievousness as he pulls her communicator from his pocket and hands it to her. "I knew you'd forget it, so I took it from your bag while you were in line for the bus. No wasting time today." He smirks as she takes it from his hand.

"It was a good move, just this once. But, ever take it from me again, and I will have to hurt you." The monotonous voice of her communicator holds only sincerity, but her expression is merely playful. Katara sets it down on the small table, and quickly pulls a blob of the heavily chlorinated water from the tub, splashing it on Aang and soaking him through.

"Hey!" he squeals, but is quickly shushed by Katara's finger to her own lips as she nods towards the house. _'He has to learn not to be so loud.'_ she thinks, before handing him the small hand towel sitting on a nearby lawn chair.

"Thanks" he mumbles, before quickly sending a jet of air across himself to dry off. She strolls back over to the hot tub, and pauses a moment to collect herself, before gently pulling and pushing the water, slowly creating a growing wave. _'He knows the drill. Do as I do.'_ She then turns to see him accomplish this quickly. Rolling her eyes to herself, she then reaches to pull the water into a small stream. Pushing it behind her and around her back, she can feel the strain on her back.

Finally, she drops the water back into the full mass, and turns towards her pupil. He nods, and tries to mimic her, but fails. Calmly, she walks over to her communicator, and types, "Keep your arms closer, it will help to balance and keep you more fluid." As the words break the silence, she returns to the tub, standing behind Aang. Placing her hands on his wrists, she pulls his arms closer to himself, knocking his elbows inward as well. She then returns to her original place to see her pupil perform. Quickly, he manages to not only mimic her perfectly, but also to add a small flair over his head, and spin it through the two teens, as if tying a knot.

Katara rolls her eyes to herself _'The overhead flair was unnecessary'_ before patting Aangs shoulder and walking back towards the table that holds her communicator. "I think that's enough for today. I'm feeling a little tired." She turns to climb back up the tree, but Aang's voice stops her.

"Do you have to go inside now; can't you just stay and keep me company?" She nods, and they make their way towards the two lawn chairs seated side-by-side. "You know, I'm not really supposed to tell anyone, but I think I should. The old mascot is on vacation during homecoming, and they asked me to fill in. So, I'll be the blue devil this Friday."

She smiled. "That's great. It'll be fun for you. Although, Sokka won't be happy you're leaving us that night, but he'll get over it."

"**In the town where I was born, **

**Lived a man who sailed to sea, **

**And he told us of his life, **

**In the land of submarines,**

**So we sailed—"**

Aang quickly answered his phone, trying to ignore Katara's silent laughs. "Yeah Lily, I'll be home soon. I'm sure dinner will be fine, thanks." He turned to Katara, who had the words, waiting to be entered.

"Yellow Submarine? Really? I never pegged you as a Beatles kind of guy, let alone Yellow Submarine." Her smile only grew wider as the words flew.

"As a matter of fact, yes; I love the Beatles. And you shouldn't laugh at me for it," Aang smiled at her teasingly as he spoke. "But, I should tell you that I have to go. Lily is having a few friends over and needs me to help cook. She seems a little flustered." With that, he turned to gather his things, sliding his phone into his pocket and heading for the side gate. He then turned back, "I'll see you tomorrow?" he asks. Seeing her nod in response, he walks through the gate, and out of her range of view.

Katara then walks back towards the base of the tree, sliding down its trunk to rest at its roots for a moment. _'This should be the best homecoming ever.'_

Xxx Xxx Xxx

**OK, so I know it's really short. But I'm going to try to get either more you in a day or two, or a really long one next week. I'm not sure as of yet. But either way, you'll have more to compensate. It's just really late and I didn't want to keep you waiting any longer. Anyways, please rate and review. I take all comments to heart and they really mean a lot, they keep me driven to write. Also, feel free to PM me if you have any questions or comments or anything you don't want to share in a review. Thanks!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey! Ok, so this one was actually a lot of fun to write. You may understand why after you read. Anyways, I'll let you start reading, and just have a long A/N at the end. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: the Last Airbender, but I really wish I did!**

Xxx Xxx Xxx

Aang wandered around campus, fighting the chills that plagued him during the cool fall morning. He tugged at the collar of his orange jacket, and pulled his white beanie a little lower on his ears. Walking towards his locker, his auburn sneaker caught on the edge of a stone step. He caught himself with ease, but the giant, blue, devil shaped head nearly fell from his hands. Finally making it to his locker, he pulled out all of the books and notebooks he needed for the entire day, in the hopes of making enough room to fit the suit into his locker. The locker below his is also empty, so he brought an extra lock to use that area as well. After much pushing, stuffing, and shoving, he managed to fit the entire costume into the two lockers.

**[7:03]** his phone read. _I wish I hadn't had to come so early, but I guess that's what happens when it's homecoming day.'_ Deciding to explore the other happenings around campus, he continued his wandering. Passing the field, he saw workmen painting lines on the turf and power-washing the bleachers. He passed the dance room, taking a moment to peak in at the girls practicing. Suki, and a number of her friends, were all working away at their routines. Spinning, flipping, twisting, kicking, and bending in ways Aang couldn't dream of without the help of his bending. He then made his way past the open gym door, pausing a moment to watch the cheerleading team in their practice of their routine. They, although a little more physical, are not nearly as graceful as the dance team.

Walking through the main quad, he saw large banners being placed through every free walkway, streamers being lined through trees, and a number of people colored bright blue. _'I would have thought they would have waited until the game to paint themselves, since they still have to attend school.' _15 minutes or so have passed, and by now, more students and teachers are starting to arrive. The school is starting to come alive with more activity than normal, but that is to be expected. Walking through a narrow hall, Aang was nearly run over by Aunt Wu, calling to her students with an anxious and stressful tone.

"Come along Madrigals! We need to practice for our performance! It needs to be perfect!" She ran fretfully past, not noticing how many students she nearly ran over with her large box of sheet music in one hand, and a microphone set in the other. A chorus of uneager responses arose from her half-asleep choir as they meandered slowly behind her on the way from one choir room to another.

_**Bzz! Bzz!**_

Aang looked towards his phone, and a smile spread on his face.

**1 NEW MESSAGE: FROM KATARA K.**

_**Hey. I'll be there in just a few minutes. Are you at school yet?**_

_** Btw: I'm so excited for tonight! **_

Aang quickly responded, deciding to make his way towards the bus stop in the process.

**NEW MESSAGE: REPLY TO KATARA K.**

_**I'll be at the stop waiting. I had to get here early to pick up the suit. I'm excited to! I've never been to a homecoming game before.**_

Just as Aang sent the message, the familiar screech of the bus' brakes rang into his ears. Looking up, he saw the two people who always got off first, also known as his best friends Sokka and Katara. Katara hugged Aang and smiled, before turning and walking the usual way towards campus, her chocolate hair pulled into a high ponytail wrapped in cobalt ribbon. The three made their way towards the siblings' lockers in relative silence. Not an uncomfortable silence, but more of an exhausted silence. Much like the silence of a family at the breakfast table, when they have all been up much too late the night before. It was a Friday after all, they were all fairly tired.

Sokka broke the silence just as they had finished gathering their books. "So remember, we'll all meet here after school, and head out to lunch in Zuko's car. Then we'll hang out at my hou-" Sokka was cut off by Katara's glare. He amended his words choice and continued. "-_our_ house if there is still time, and we'll come back here early so Aang can do his mascot thing. Oh, and Suki can't join us. Being on the Dance team means she'll be out there along with all the cheerleaders during the game. But she said she might join us if we want to go out after".

Aang finally realized something, having been reminded because of Sokka. "Oh, that's right, I totally forgot that we have a half day today. Sweet! Now I can chill in class because it so short". The two siblings nodded slowly at Aang's realization; Sokka, because of exhaustion, and Katara, because of her silent laughter at Aang's slow response.

The three then decided to split up to make their way towards class, knowing that they would all be together again in a few short hours.

Xxx Xxx Xxx

After school, Aang and Katara waited patiently beside Zuko's car. Sokka was nowhere to be found, Zuko, understandingly, was still with his uncle for the time being, and Haru had decided to meet them at the restaurant with Song. He had finally worked up the courage to ask her, and she surprised everyone by saying yes.

Finally, the two saw Zuko walking towards them, pausing to say goodbye to his uncle, before unlocking his car so they could all put their bags in the trunk. He chucked his red and gold streaked back pack in with the others.

"Where's Sokka?" Zuko asked as he shut the trunk of his flame red, Mercedes Benz, CL65 AMG Coupe. He turned and leaned against it, his hands in the pockets of his black trousers.

Katara merely shook her head as to say 'I have no idea' while Aang responded "no clue". The two had long since gotten over Zuko's expensive car. It was almost a parting gift from Zuko's father to buy his silence. The group then waited for another 10 minutes before Sokka arrived, walking slowly and distractedly towards them.

"Where have you been? It's almost 2:00! School got out an hour ago!" Katara fumed, becoming even more aggravated by Sokka's calm and deliriously happy expression.

"I was with Suki, she had some free time before practice," Sokka said, almost as much to himself as to the group.

'_I don't think I want to know.' _Aang thought. Katara was about to respond, but Zuko cut her off, hoping to end the argument. "We can discuss this when we get there, but for now, everyone into the car." Aang made sure to sit in the back, so that the two siblings would have a small amount of distance between them. Katara joined him in the back, allowing Sokka to have the front seat next to Zuko. The entire ride to the restaurant was filled with uncomfortable silence.

Xxx Xxx Xxx

"Aang, that's, like, your 7th bowl of miso soup! Are you sure you want another one?" Song asked, surprised at the amount of food the boys all seemed to consume. Sokka was on his 4rd plate of teriyaki, Haru was on his 3rd plate of sushi and Zuko was on his 2nd. Katara merely gave Song a knowing look, before gently pushing her almost empty plate from herself and reaching for her water.

"I've got to have lots of energy for tonight, because a mascot's always got to be energetic." Aang responded quickly, before reaching for the new bowl the waiter just placed in front of him. "And these are also kind of small" he added, mostly to make himself feel a little better about his appetite.

"Speaking of tonight, it's almost 5. We should probably get going. Haru, I know that you're only on the JV team, so you're not playing tonight, but do you still need to be there early to give support or something? I know Aang has to be there early to change." Katara reached for the bill at the end of the table and placed the money she and Sokka owe, before handing it towards Zuko.

"I don't _have_ to be there, but the coach will probably be mad if I'm not." The bill was slowly passed around, each person paying for their portion, minus Song, who had hers paid by Haru. The group then left, leaving the change as a tip, and made their way through the previously used vehicles towards the school.

Even though it was almost an hour early, the bleachers were already starting to be filled by students. Sokka excused himself to find Suki, Haru, Song and Zuko went to find seats, the four all changed into blue shirts during the day, and Sokka had chosen to Pain his entire face blue for the occasion. Aang and Katara went to grab the mascot suit from Aang's locker, before heading to the bathrooms to change.

Standing outside the bathrooms, Aang spoke. "You don't have to wait for me to change Katara. You can go find the others," he said.

She merely shook her head. "I have something I want to do to show my spirit. You'll see it in a moment." And with that, she entered the girl's bathroom without another word. Aang watched the door swing shut behind her, before entering the boy's bathroom.

It took Aang less time than he had anticipated to dress in the suit. He waited for a while outside the bathroom for Katara, leaning against the wall with his devil head perched under his arm. When she finally walked out, all Aang could think was _'Wow'_. She had somehow managed to put two thick blue lines along each cheek under her eyes (like football black face paint), create beautifully blue eyeshadow and eyeliner that complimented her azure eyes perfectly, and place two bright blue streaks in her hair, which she had let down for the first time in a while; all in under 10 minutes. "You look great!" he exclaimed, a little higher and louder than he had anticipated. It was almost a squeak.

"I thought I'd show my school spirit." She reached for his costume head and placed it on his real head over his beanie, fastening the Velcro in the back. "Now, you need to get out there, and I need to find Sokka. Just remember, you're not allowed to talk when in costume."

"Right! …Oops…" Aang just shook his head in response and wove to Katara as she headed towards the bleachers and he headed towards the field. _'Now all I have to do is be crazy and get the crowd energized and excited! This should be a piece of cake.'_

The minute Aang stepped onto the field, the crowd went wild. _'I guess they really like their mascot. Understandable.'_ He ran around, high fiving the some of the crowd, attempted to join the dance team with their warm up, and tossed around a few pom-poms with the cheerleaders. Sooner then he realized, the game started, and it was great. Aang's job was mostly just to make sure none of the crowd was bored, so throughout the game he continued to be the clown of the crowd and cause any calmer group to laugh and join in. It involved much awful dancing and a few awkward (and fake) tumbles down the bleachers, but all-in-all, the game was wonderful.

At half time, all Aang had to do was make an appearance during the cheerleaders routine, and pass out a few free tee-shirts into the crowd. The game ended extraordinarily with the Devils in a 48-11 win against their opponent, the Knight's Landing Knights. The Knights have always been the Devils' most competitive rival, and so the crowd was very happy for this win. Not all of the night was fun-n-games though. The other team was notorious for their ugly disposition, and had already tried to start a fight once with our players. But no one seemed to care, now that the game was over.

Aang walked over to join his friends during the cheering in the aftermath. "I'm going to find Suki!" Sokka said quickly as he ran past the now exiting crowd.

Though he still stayed in character, the other talked to him. "I'm going to the bathroom to was the paint off my face. I'll meet you at the Car." Katara said, before following her brother down the bleachers.

"Song and I are going to take off too, she has an early curfew. I'll see you guys on Monday." Haru and Song then left their spot on the bleachers and made their way towards Haru's car.

Just then, Zuko's phone rang. He looked at it, before saying, "I have to take this, you go get changed and we'll meet you at the car." The two parted, and Aang slowly made his way towards the costume department where the mascot costume was supposed to be left. Aang had been left with the keys to the room for this exact reason. _'Which key is it?'_ His eyes strain in the darkness to try to find the key. He's so enveloped in his search, that he doesn't hear the group of quiet footsteps following him.

Finally opening the door to the 25X30ft room, he is suddenly shoved forward roughly. He lands with his hands in front of him, and quickly turns and sits up, seeing his attacker, or rather, attackers. About two dozen of the players from the opposing team follow him into the room. _'Knights! Yeah right! No chivalry here.'_ Aang tried to stand, but before he could, the quarter back, and obviously the one leading this group, moved towards him and stepped on his stomach, forcing Aang back to the ground. Another player bent down and pulled the mascot head off of Aang and tossed it to the side. Now that Aang's vision wasn't distorted, Aang could see his attackers better than before. Most were similar, they all had short brown hair, and under Aang's current level of stress, they all started to look the same; all but one: the leader. He was different. His hair was longer, darker. And his eyes, they were cold and harsh.

One of the players shut the door once everyone was inside. "What do you wa-ahhhh!" Aang's question was cut off as the foot pressed against his stomach pushed harder and the air was forced out of his lungs.

"That should have been our win. And someone has to pay. So that's you." His cold eyes bore into Aangs, causing Aang's heartbeat to quicken and his breath to become shallower. The leader released his foot off of Aang, but before Aang could move the boy who had taken off Aang's mascot head now moved a step to the side and kicked a hard blow to his side. Aang doubled over, clutching his side. After a moment, he tried to stand again, but another player bent down and punched him square in the jaw. The leader now stepped fully out of the way. "Have at him," he said, before quietly locking the door.

The players begin to kick him in whatever open space possible, and through his delirious state of pain, all Aang thinks of is '_I won't bend. I can't bend.'_ Just then, his phone goes off, and the group paused their attack. Aang rolls over in pain, clutching his stomach. The leader bends down and reached into the costume's pocket, pulling out the phone.

"Whoever Zuko is, he'll have to wait." He then drops the phone to the ground and crushes it under his foot. This stands as the cue for the other to continue their assault. Aang's eyes start to fail him. As his vision becomes fuzzy, he hears a loud knock at the door. Everyone stops their attack, and one of the players quickly grabs Aang by the head and covers his mouth. Everyone remains completely silent.

"Aang? Aang, are you in there? The light is still on, so I know you are. What took you so long? We're all waiting for you at the car?" Zuko's voice sounds muffled through the door, and everyone in the room still stays silent. Zuko seems to then talk to someone, or maybe into his phone. It's too muffled to understand. Aang's daze starts to clear up for a moment, and he finds his opportune moment. He stretches his jaw to bite his current captor's hand. A loud 'Ow' comes from the player, and he releases Aang for a moment.

"Zuko! Help!" Aang shouts, before the leader gives him a hard kick in the jaw to shut Aang up.

The door burst open, revealing Zuko, followed by Sokka, Katara, and Suki. The four barely made it two steps before noticing the gravity of the situation. Aang's daze still plagued him, but he was slowly clearing. The blow to the head had not helped in the slightest. He could feel a trail of blood leading from his hairline, down the side of his face, along his jaw and neck, and to the collar of his shirt inside the suit.

Sokka took immediate action, punching the nearest guy in the jaw. Zuko took a more intelligent approach. Running behind the nearest shelf of props, Zuko pushed it over to knock down a few of the players at once. Suki pulled out a pair of fans from seemingly nowhere, and started smacking the players left and right. Katara, on the other hand, ran to Aang's side. She held him by the shoulders, pulling him into a sitting position.

Slowly his head cleared, but he was in too much pain to help. He saw that, though his friends were capable fighters for the most part, there were just too many of the players. Katara decided to help in the fight, but it was no use, there were too many. Sokka was held to the ground by two of the players, while a third was kicking his side. Zuko was attempting to tackle the leader, but was thrown off and pinned to the wall. One of the players kicked him in his crotch and Zuko doubled over in pain. Suki was evading some of her attackers, but couldn't find enough time to help any of the others.

Pausing, Katara took an approach Aang wouldn't have thought she would have. Risking imprisonment, she ran out the open door, and concentrated her bending on the drinking fountain outside. Five Knights followed her. Suddenly, it burst open, causing metal and water to spray in every direction. She pulled the water into a large wave and shoved it towards her attackers. It knocked over two, but wasn't large enough to get all of them.

Zuko saw her do this, and instantly understood what happened. His attackers were distracted for a moment and he took it as an opportunity. Punching his fist forward, a huge ball of flames erupted from his fist, towards one of the player's stomach. He followed with a sharp, flamed kick to his now lowered jaw.

Suki merely continued her attacks, but with more ferocity, knocking away two of the knights. Sokka was still held to the ground, but both he and his attackers were in shock for a moment. Two chose to run off, opting not to be present when their group lost. Shaking his head clear, Sokka struggled under his captor's grip and eventually rolled away and stood. He pulled out the boomerang he keeps tucked into the belt of his pants, and threw it at the head of the closest Knight. It knocked him out cold and easily flew back to his hand. He continued, attacking the next, and the next.

Aang's vision finally cleared slightly , and he didn't feel as woozy as he had before. He tried to stand, gripping one of the shelves tightly. Realizing he needed to get out of the constricting suit, he did so, but slowly. His daze was making it difficult. Luckily, it had been cold that night, and he had opted to keep his jacket on under the suit, so no one would see his tattoos. Just then, the two players who had run off returned, and they were followed by another 5 or 6. Aang joined in the fray, realizing that if they were going to get out of here, he had to use his bending, but he opted for only air bending. Blasting three of the attackers backwards and out the door, he followed them.

Turning to the side, he saw Katara struggling to hold off a few of the attackers, for her combat water bending was still very weak. Aang tried to make his way towards her, but he was stopped by a Knight who threw a large boulder towards him. _'Some are benders! Great!'_ he thought sarcastically to himself, before rounding on him.

Once one of the players had decided to use bending, a few more followed. There seemed to be about 4 earth benders and 2 fire benders in the mix, not including Zuko. This made the battle even harder. Just as Aang was in the mix with 2 non benders, a fire bender, and an earth bender, he heard a scream. "Katara!" Sokka shouted, he now stood in the doorway of the costume room. _'NO!'_ Turning, Aang saw Katara on the ground, unconscious. Her arm was twisted unnaturally, obviously broken, and her head was bleeding from a large cut above her left eyebrow.

"_no. No. No! NO! NO! NO!'_ Aang's mind flooded with thoughts, swirling and clouding his judgment. _'This can't be happening, this isn't possible! How?'_ Just then, Katara stirred. But Aang wasn't the only one to notice. The earth bender, who most likely harmed her, pulled a large rock above her, attempting to bring it crashing down on her head. Before Aang could realize what was happening, he felt empowered. His tattoos began to glow through his clothes, and he flew forward. His hand caught the arm of the earth bender before he could finish his attack, but it wasn't his hand. Or rather, he wasn't in control.

"NO!" his voice sounded calmly, yet shouting at the same time. But it wasn't his voice. It sounded rough, gravely, and like there were hundreds of people sounding with him. He picked up the earth bender, lifting him high into the air, before flinging him across the hall. The earth bender slammed into the wall and crumpled against the floor, unconscious. Air blew in every direction, forcing everyone apart. The swirling wind flung a few of the Knights against walls, knocking a few unconscious like their friend. Earth then was pulled in large chunks from the ground, smashing into more of the players, knocking them in every direction.

By now, everyone had made their way out of the room, and the fighting had ceased. Sokka ran towards Katara, lifting her head into his lap, helping her slowly become more conscious of her surroundings.

Aang now added some of the water that lay on the floor into his swirling tornado of elements. And finally fire added into the mix. Knights were being flung here and there, smashed into walls, crushed against the floor, one was thrown through a window, shattering it and sending shards of glass everywhere. It was all our group could do just to cling to their spots and resist being flung with the Knights throughout the hall.

Aang's face held the hardest scowl any of them had ever seen. A few of the knights tried to run and escape, but he would not allow it. He was not in control, his rage was.

"We have to get out of here!" Zuko shouted over the roaring winds, though it was muffled. The others nodded, and Suki and Zuko made their way towards the Kuruk siblings. Katara was finally coming to; enough to realize what was going on.

She shook her head and grappled for her communicator. With Sokka's help, she pulled it from her pocket. "No, we need to help him." She typed slowly, with only one hand. It was frustrating her quickly, as he daze slowly faded. She sat up and attempted to heal her arm. She knew only the basics of healing, that which she learned online. Slowly it healed, and was left with only a large purple bruise.

When she finished, Sokka spoke, having not wanted to break her concentration earlier. "Are you insane? We need to get out of here!" he tried to help her to her feet, but as soon as she was standing, she made her way towards Aang.

She turned back for a moment. "What made him like this?"

Sokka merely hung his head. Suki responded, "You did. When he saw you unconscious, he just… flipped."

Katara's eyes grew wide. She merely turned back towards Aang, and slowly but surely made her way through the howling winds. She turned the volume up as loud as possible, "Aang! Aang, I'm ok! Aang!"

His head turned roughly towards her, the scowl remained. His glowing blue eyes bore into her own, and it scared her. It scared her more than she would admit, but her expression changed to one of determination, and she pushed forward.

Finally reaching him, she reached up to grab his hand, pulling him towards her. He came without resistance, but his expression didn't change. When he was close enough, she grabbed his other hand. The winds were slowly dying, and the other elements fell or were extinguished. She pulled him into her embrace, and though he didn't reciprocate, his expression changed from a scowl, to that of pure sadness. Her arms still hurt immensely, but she pushed through the pain. The glow of his tattoos and eyes slowly faded, and soon all that was left were two streaks of tears, staining his cheeks. Finally, he slumped forward into her embrace even more, and she knew he was back, and fully himself. She only held him tighter and tighter until he finally responded.

"What… what happened…?" Aang's voice was faint, weak with his fatigue. He finally stood with his own strength, though he still held Katara's shoulder for support. Rubbing the bridge of his nose, he finally opened his eyes fully and took in his surroundings.

Knights were scattered throughout the hall, groaning and moaning; a few were unconscious. The water fountain was smashed, and metal shards cluttered the floor, along with the glass from two smashed windows. The ground was uneven from all the earth bending, and most of the posters and flyers that had previously littered the walls were now singed or charred completely to ash.

"Did I do this?" Aang asked, astonished.

"Most of it," Katara responded, though his ears were ringing loudly and so the monotonic voice was faint and muffled.

The two were both brought out of their daze by Zuko. "We need to get out of here. We'll talk in my car." He turned and grabbed Sokka by the collar of his blue shirt. During the time Katara had gone to stop Aang, all the event that had occurred seemed to sink in to Sokka and he stood in shock and astonishment, mumbling to himself. "Suki, you know what to do." She nodded, and began to use her gymnastics to reach very camera in the entire hallway in turn. She used her fans to smash the memory chips in each, without damaging the cameras themselves. She then pulled a few costumed from the closet and scattered them around the hall, and took a few of the bottles of paint from the art room across the hall. She painted on the wall the words 'Devil's suck' and then dropped the paint next to the quarterback. When she was done, the group was waiting at the end of the hall.

"The authorities will think it was vandalism gone wrong. Let's go." Suki said calmly, and Zuko Sent a fireball along the wall, scorching the paint. He then nodded, and they made their way to his car, and filed in. Sokka sat in the passenger's seat next to Zuko; Aang sat with his head on Katara's shoulder. And Suki was behind Sokka, with the window rolled open to let in some fresh air.

Finally Sokka was able to make his mumblings into a coherent sentence, or rather, question. "What the hell was that?" He shook his head in shock.

Surprisingly, Aang responded, "If you hadn't already guessed, I'm the Avatar. Katara's a water bender, Zuko's a fire bender, and Suki's a… well… I have no idea what Suki is, but she's some form of martial artist."

"It's the form of your past life, Avatar Kyoshi" Suki added informatively.

"Ok, good to know. One more question. Why the hell are you two so calm!" Sokka shouted at Zuko and Suki.

Zuko responded first. "I've known Aang was the Avatar for a while now, or, I've known he was an air bender and inferred that he was the Avatar. Suki?" He turned briefly to Suki, before returning his concentration to the road.

"I've had to deal with situations like that before. Not with an Avatar or anything, but, other stuff. I don't really want to talk about it." Her face grew very solemn and she stared at her fans for a moment before tucking them inside the black boots she was wearing.

"Another question: Katara," Sokka's voice started calm, but immediately grew into a shout, "why didn't you tell me you are a _water bender_! I mean, that's not something you hide from your _brother_!" He turned towards her, expression full of hurt. He blew a stray strand of hair out of his face, waiting for her response.

She stared at her lap for a moment, wringing her hands. Eventually, she looked up, rubbing her arm sheepishly. "I…. I thought… I don't know. I just thought you'd make fun of me, or dislike me for it, or even-" she paused, deciding not to finish her sentence.

"Even what?" Sokka prompted crossly.

"I thought you might turn me in." Seeing his hurt expression, she quickly amended, "not on purpose of course, but I didn't want to take that chance. I didn't want anyone in our family to get hurt because of me. No one ever knew except for mom. At least, not until a few weeks ago, when Aang found out."

"You told him before me!" Sokka was now almost backwards in his seat. He pointed a finger at Aang, and his face grew red with anger.

"No, I figured out he was the Avatar, and I needed him to trust that I wouldn't turn him in. He's a wanted criminal, for absolutely no reason other than he's the most powerful bender."

Sokka nodded, and turned around. He was obviously still hurt, but didn't want to talk about it. From where Aang sat, he could see the faint glisten of a tear as it traveled down Sokka's cheek, but he didn't say anything. The group remained silent the entire ride to the Kuruk household. When they arrived, Katara asked "If any of you want to stay tonight, you can. Dad's out on business, and Gran-Gran won't be here till Monday."

Aang nodded and mumbled about a phone call. Suki declined, saying she could walk home. Sokka turned to the house and made his way inside, obviously oblivious to how rude he was being to Suki at the moment. Zuko had called his uncle earlier that evening, during the game, because he was planning on staying with Sokka, and so he just followed Sokka into the house. Suki just shook her head at Sokka's ignorance and meandered down the sidewalk. Katara made her way towards Aang, who stood at the end of the driveway.

"Ok, thanks Chong. Goodnight." He shut his phone, and reached for Katara, pulling her into a tight embrace. "Tonight was a nightmare." She nodded into his shoulder. "Don't ever do that to me again." She looked at him with curiosity. "Don't ever get hurt or… you know, just don't, ok. I can't lose you. You're my best friend." She merely nodded and pulled him towards the house.

'_What a night.'_

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**Ok, so I have a few things to say about this chapter:**

**I really liked writing this one, and it's been on my mind for a long time now.**

**I don't like making the characters have such a hard time, but I needed them all to find out about each other's bending sooner or later.**

**There is no school in Knights Landing, because it's a really tiny town. So I thought I would make this up so as not to piss anyone off.**

**Please Review! I haven't gotten very many on my last few, and it makes me want to write more if I do get reviews. Feel free to PM me about anything, I enjoy it! Also, after Christmas, hopefully I'll have my laptop more often, so I can write more often. My family is in this weird situation that makes it so I don't have my laptop very often, because I have a droid, but I refuse to type whole chapters on my phone. It's just too uncomfortable. And be happy, this chapter is a LOT longer than the others, and it's more of the length that I want my chapters to be from now on. Anyways, hope you liked it. **


	7. The actual Chapter 7

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Sokka hadn't really been Sokka since homecoming. Granted, it's only been 2 days, but something about the events of that night hit him pretty hard. He's hidden in his room almost the entire time, only leaving for the occasional bathroom break or raid to the pantry for overly processed food products. Even the latter is much more infrequent than usual.

Currently, Sokka sits on his low-to-the-ground bed with his back against the wall of his room. His computer, sitting atop the desk that runs parallel to his bed blasts out music at such a volume that it reverberates throughout the entire second floor of their house and lightly shakes the door to his room. He lets the sweet lyrics and melodies of Linkin' Park, Nickleback, REM, and many others, attempt to drown out the thoughts running like a blur through his head.

Katara knows, better than anyone, to leave him alone at his point. The music tells her that loud and clear. It's an unspoken code between the siblings that when music is loud enough to be heard through the door, it is just as important, if not more, as a 'Do Not Disturb' sign. And so, Katara leaves him to his own devices, knowing that in a few short days he should be back to his old self: the 'Meat and Sarcasm' loving Sokka.

Unfortunately, it seems to Sokka that this time is different. He hasn't moved for, what seems to be, hours. Yet, it also feels like only a few short minutes have passed. Zoning in and out of his misery, half-hearted and depressed thoughts churn through his head, clouding his senses and blurring his mind.

'_Why? Why would she not tell me? Why would none of them tell me? It's like I don't even know them anymore. They all kept this enormous secret from me. Like, I couldn't handle it, or, I would somehow ruin their lives because of it. Almost like they were hiding it just from me, just to spite me. No. No, I know that's not really the case, but it sure feels like it anyways. When I first saw everything, I was so high on adrenaline and trying not to… I don't know… die! It didn't register. Not until after it was over. Then it hit me like a sack of bricks. And it's just gotten worse since.'_

'_I understand Aang hiding it, I really do. I haven't known him too long, none of us have really. But then again, he did tell Katara. I don't know. Whatever. I'm not mad at Aang. Being the… what's it called? Oh, right. Avatar. Being the Avatar is huge, I guess. He probably just didn't want any chance of the information getting out, and I guess I wasn't the only one who didn't know, so, no hard feelings there I guess.'_

'_Finding out about Zuko, well, that hurt a little. Knowing that he doesn't trust me with something like that, that's what hurt. But it's understandable, considering he's always so… reserved? He's never been much about talking about himself, especially his past. I didn't even know him until 2 summers' ago, and he was already living with his uncle then. Something about the rest of his family must be pretty messed up for him to … well… be so… hidden, about it all. So, it's understandable, sort of.'_

'_But, Katara! I'm her brother! I know everything about her. I trust her with everything about me, and she trusts everything about her with me. Or at least, I thought she did. I don't know anymore. It's like I don't know her at all. She can do… whatever that was. And it's amazing. She's already such an amazing person and now she has to go and be that much better. It's almost like she was given that, as compensation for… well… you know. But it's so much more. Who knows? All I know is that it hurts. I can't really explain it, but it's almost like this ache, deep inside my chest… but not. There's also this throbbing… something, in my head, behind my eyes. Or at least, that's where it started. I don't know anymore. I'm just trying to block it out.'_

'_It's bending, right? Whatever that thing is that the 3 of them do… Right. Katara and her water, no wonder she's always loved swimming way more than most people. Zuko with his fire. How someone so hot-headed can manage to control something so destructive eludes me completely. I guess it makes sense though, in some weird and ironic sort of way. And Aang. He's the avatar. He can control all of it. There are 4 elements? Right? Yeah. And whatever glowy, crazy, 'I'll destroy you' thing that he did just rolls into the package I guess.'_

'_It makes me wonder who else out there is like them. How many other people can 'bend' stuff? Or even, like Suki, how many are like her? I always knew she was in shape, what with her gymnastics and dance and stuff. But, that was crazy. Those were fans, I think. But they did so much damage, it seems impossible. And she was, like, jumping off walls and practically flying through the air. Those 'knights' had no idea what to do with her.'_

'_They all have amazing… powers? Abilities? I don't know. But whatever you call it, they are all so incredible, and what about me? Did God decide I wasn't good enough to deserve to be their equal? Am I just supposed to be 'comedy relief' for whatever weird movie we're a part of? Because, it really feels like it. Like we're all part of something bigger, and I'm just a side character. Or better yet, maybe there is no God; maybe there are Spirits, like the stories say. I mean, I always thought that they were just children's' stories, something to spur the imagination. But, if bending is real, then maybe other parts are true.'_

'_It doesn't matter really. Either way, whatever is out there, it/they must hate me.'_

Sometime during his thoughts, Sokka stood and approached his desk, skipping a more upbeat and joyous song on his shuffling playlist and trading it for one that better fit his mood. He had stood by his desk, still zoned into his thoughts, but now, he turned, deciding some fresh air may do him some good, 'clear his head' and all that. Lowering the volume to his music considerably, he pushes in the chair at his desk and makes his way to the drawn curtains of his window. Sliding open the dark curtains to the large window that takes up most of the wall perpendicular to his bed and desk, he is blinded for a moment by the bright setting sun. Seeing the fading sunlight he realizes that he has no idea what time it is, but it must be later than he previously assumed.

The clock on his bedside table reads **[6:03]** and he realizes he's spent the entire day locked up in his room. Not that it bothers him though. Gliding the window open, he leans out the window and breathes deeply. The cool fall breeze gently brushing against his face. Sokka closes his eyes and just takes the environment in. It definitely lifts his mood, but, unfortunately, this change is short lived.

From below him, Sokka hears a loud, and definitely male, laugh. At first, he thinks his dad must have come home early from his business trip. His father, Hakoda, occasionally used to surprise the family, when both Sokka and Katara were much younger, by coming home earlier than planned. But that hasn't happened in years. Sokka snaps his eyes open, brimming with excitement. But when he opens his eyes, all he sees are his sister and Aang, bending the water in the hot tub below. Retroactively, Sokka recognizes that the laugh was a great deal higher pitched than his father's, but the excitement had clouded this insight at the time.

He hasn't seen his father in over 3 weeks, because his last trip home had been canceled at the last minute. The reminder of this, alone, could have put Sokka in a sour mood. But, in combination with his already poor disposition, it makes it even worse.

Scowling, Sokka closes his eyes again and breathes deeply, trying to cure his mood. A part of him doesn't even know why it's so difficult to accept everything that has happened, but the other part, the logical and scientific side of Sokka, knows exactly why.

After a few minutes of soaking in the fading light and cool evening air, he opens his eyes again. Feeling a tad bit better, Sokka absentmindedly runs his hands through his hair, pulling out the tie holding it in a small ponytail, or 'warrior's wolf tail' as he calls it. Idly scratching his scalp, he decides he should probably shower tonight, because heaven knows that he won't wake up with time to shower in the morning.

'_The hot water will do me good. It'll help me clear my head.'_

Walking to the shower, he feels a little better already, just thinking about the steaming water helping to work out the kinks in his muscled from all the stress. Not to mention the fact that he is still a little sore from everything that happened Friday night.

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And how right he was. As he finally decided to pull himself from the steamy heaven that was his shower, his head feels much clearer already. _'Maybe I'm being too harsh. I really need to think about this. This is the sort of 'make a list and work both sides' issue.'_

When Sokka gets back to his room, he makes sure to leave the music off as he writes down things that work for all sides. Finally coming to the conclusion that, while it may be his right to be mad, anger does not accomplish anything. No harm has been done, other than an entirely bruised ego, and they are his friends. Forgiveness is so much easier than holding a grudge. '_And everyone knows how lazy I am.'_

Shortly after coming to this conclusion, a soft know is heard at his bedroom door. _'Katara hear the music- or rather- lack of music.'_ Sokka sighs loudly as he stands up from his place on his bed. Even though he did reach a positive conclusion, he still isn't ready to face his sister. _'Oh well, here goes nothing. I just hope I don't stick my foot in my mouth.'_

Opening the door reveals a very pensive Katara, but her eyes snap open when she sees Sokka standing in front of her. It was almost as if she expected him not to answer. She stands completely still for a moment, searching Sokka's eyes for something, anything. But they show no anger, no disappointment, only the tiredness that every teenager inevitably fails to hide. Finally, she reaches into her pocket to find her communicator, but Sokka stops her. Pulling her into a tight hug, he finally speaks.

"I forgive you Katara, don't worry. You're my sister, how could I not." And now he finally let the wall he had built up over the past few days come crashing down. His face breaks into a large smile. And he can feel Katara's smile pressed into his shoulder. He now also feels a small wet patch in his shirt growing and quickly pulled away from Katara to look into her eyes. "Oh, Katara, you're crying."

She nods, and after a moment, begins to type on her communicator. "I was worried you wouldn't forgive me for keeping something like this from you. I'm truly sorry. I don't know why I did really; I think I was probably just scared. It just seemed so much easier not to say anything. But I'm sorry." The monotonous voice holds no emotion, being robotic and dry. But Sokka remembers back to a time, before Katara lost her voice, when she was very young. At this moment, that voice, from a six or seven year old Katara, was the voice he hears. And it made Sokka cry too, though he'd never admit it to anyone else.

He pulls her into another hug, twin trails of tears running down his cheeks. "Oh, don't cry. Shhh. You're making me cry, and we both know that's not a pretty sight. I understand; I do. Just, remember, I don't keep anything from you, and I expect that in return from now on, ok?" After feeling her both smile and nod into her shoulder, he pulls back, holding her by her upper arms and getting a good look at her face. "It's all in the past, ok?" She nods again, her eyes sparkling, but no longer crying. "Good. Now, you tell anyone I cried because of this, and you're dead, especially Zuko. Got it?" Even though his words are serious, his tone is playful and his smile, along with the twinkle in his eyes, holds only love for his sister. "Alright. Now, I know it's a little early, and I don't know about you, but I've had a bit of a rough weekend, so I'm gonna turn in for the night, ok? I'll see you in the morning."

Katara smiles again, brighter than ever, and pulls him into a quick hug again, before turning. The words "Sleep tight!" sounded through the hall as she passes through the door to her bedroom and shuts it behind her.

Sokka then turns and re-enters his room, closing the door gently behind him. He falls onto the bed, bouncing slightly, and lies still for a moment, contemplating to himself, before reaching to turn his alarm on and turn off his bedside lamp.

Having mentally exhausted himself over the weekend, Sokka is asleep within the minute.


	8. Chapter 8

**Ok, so I forgot to put an author's note on the last chapter because, honestly, I was in a rush to get it out to you guys as soon as possible. Anyways, there wasn't much to say about it anyways, except, I love writing from various characters' perspectives. Most of the story is probably going to be from Katara, Aang or (later) Toph's perspective, but for now, in the early chapter's I'll be exploring. Kind of like how this one is from Zuko's perspective. Both this chapter and last chapter are very thought filled, with not a lot of action. But it's still angst none-the-less. And I apologize for that huge amount of italicized stuff in the last chapter. I don't know if it bugs any of you, but it certainly bug me. But, it was kind of necessary, so, sorry. **

**Also, I was originally going to have it last over a span of 3 years, to spread out the action, but I realized that it's a little too long. And I think it will be better if it's a year, including the summer following. It may spill over into the beginning of their second school year, but I doubt it. You will see how that works together when it happens. So, it's very similar to the time of the actual show in that respect. **

**Oh, and for the Guest who asked a while back: Chong is Aang's foster dad/ one of the traveling bards in "the Cave of Two Lover's".**

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Zuko is Angry. No. Zuko is Furious. Running away from the table he previously sat at, he's fuming. His friends sit, dumbfounded, but that doesn't matter. He's not mad because of what they said, not really. That was just an annoyance. No. He just needs to find his safe haven, where he can take out his anger without getting in trouble. Lunch is an open campus; no one will notice. He can just leave and be gone as long as he needs to calm down.

His friends don't know. Why would they? But he can't tell them; he won't tell them. Let them think it was because of what they said. This is so much bigger, it doesn't concern them. Let them think otherwise, it makes it easier that way.

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_**10 minutes ago**_

The group of friends sat at their usual table. Song has joined them now that she and Haru have decided to date full time. _'Who would have thought?' _Zuko sat by himself on one side of the square table; Aang and Katara sat to his left. Sokka was joined by Suki today, and they sat across from the pensive fire bender while Haru and Song sat to his right. Zuko was buried in his thoughts, barely paying attention to what any of the others are saying. They seem to be discussing something about the half time show on Friday, but it doesn't matter. Not really.

After everything that happened that night, the five involved have decided to keep quiet; therefore, Haru and Song have no idea. It's sort of an unspoken agreement between them to keep quiet for the time being, especially since Sokka just got over his time of feeling left out.

Zuko was suddenly brought out of his thoughts quickly by Haru's large hand clapping down on his shoulder. "Man, Zuko, you're really out of it today. Is something up?" Zuko's eyes blink rapidly a few times, almost as if he awoke from a nap rather hastily. After a pause he shook his head.

"No, I'm fine." Seeing his friends questioning eyes, he reassured them. "Really, I am. I'm just tired." That answer seemed to quell the questioning gaze of all but Sokka, who knows his friend better than that. A small nod saying _'Really. Don't worry. I'd tell you if it was important.' _Seems to quell his gaze enough to return back to his lunch. Zuko almost zoned back into his thoughts before Haru's voice brought him back to the conversation again.

"You know what Zuko? We need to get you a girlfriend. Then you'd stop all this sulking and zoning out." Haru gave a half laugh at Zuko's mumbling protest, but cut him off before he could say anything remotely against it. "That way, we'd have a solid group of eight and you wouldn't have 'seventh wheel syndrome'. I mean, what with me and Song, Sokka and Suki, and, well, Aang and Katara are practically dating, not long now by my reckoning." Katara shot him a small glare to hide the faint blush that crept up her cheeks, while Aang just sat with wide eyes and a protest caught in his throat without sounding out loud. Eventually, Aang just smiled, though his eyes didn't seem to shrink for a long time.

Zuko glared at Haru for a moment before speaking, his voice laced with both aggravation and resentment, "I don't need a girlfriend. I just need to be left to my thoughts for a while." Scowling, Zuko proceeded to stab his salad viciously before eating it. _'They don't know anything. I could date if it __wanted__ to, but I don't. I don't have time for it.' _He hoped that the argument would end there, unfortunately, it didn't.

Sokka decided it was a good time to put his foot in his mouth, like always. Waving his sandwich in the air for emphasis, he threatened to spit food over the entire table while he talked, "What about that girl, Jin? I hear she's been crushing on you all year." Swallowing, he gave Zuko a hopeful smile. Unfortunately, Zuko was in no mood to put up with Sokka's 'hopefulness'.

Restraining from anything more violent, Zuko sighed and anxiously ran his fingers through his hair, carefully avoiding the 'reminder' that etched into the left side of his face. "The sentiment is nice guys, and I'm sure Jin is a nice girl, but I don't want to date. I have too much on my mind right now, and I have a lot of stress. So, if you guys would just drop it, that would be great." Zuko reached down and put the remnants of his lunch into his backpack, trying to find something to do to take away from the silence that followed his statement.

Of course, Sokka had to fill that silence, with idiocy. "I don't know what's eating you, but it's probably no big deal. Relax Zuko, I think a date would be a good thing for you. Just forget about whatever it is for a short while." Sokka smiled to himself and completely missed the angry glare Zuko gave him. Everyone else saw it though, and Suki just face palmed with embarrassment for Sokka's idiocy.

Zuko was Angry. No. Zuko was Furious. He stood and faced Sokka directly, leaning over the table slightly. "You have no idea what's going on! How can you tell me to forget about it when you have no idea? Whatever, you don't need to know." Zuko's face flushed with anger. He bent and grabbed his back pack, before turning and leaving the table.

Xxx Xxx Xxx

_**Now**_

Zuko weaves through the streets with ease that comes with years of practice. Finally arriving at the destination he was searching for: a fairly small, two bedroom house that he and his uncle currently share. Opening the gate at the side of the house, he moves into the back yard. It's surrounded by a large wooden fence, and in the backyard is a very large tree. Hanging from it is a large, black punching bag. The weight of the bag is evenly distributed between 5 of the lowest branches. This is Zuko's sanctuary. His uncle is obviously still at the school, and so he can expect to be left undisturbed. Dropping his backpack on the back porch, he pulls off the red and black jacket he is wearing, revealing a dark maroon tank top, and stomps towards the punching bag.

Zuko can be free here. He can let out all his anger. The fence is almost 10 feet high, so it hides everything. This is Zuko's sanctuary.

He starts punching and kicking the bag with practiced ease. It occasionally sways under the force, but mostly stays still; absorbing anything Zuko throws at it. Just like his current problem, the issue that angers Zuko so. Just like his father, but not in a good way.

His father, the cause of all of Zuko's problems. No one would even guess who it was, he keeps it hidden well, and no one asks his uncle. Surprisingly, Shoukyaku is a fairly common last name.

No one would suspect that Ozai Shoukyaku, the current Governor of California, is Zuko's father.

No one would suspect that these 'mysterious house fires' and 'unusual disappearances' would be caused by the same person as the ones that happened just four years ago, right before Ozai's first election.

No one would suspect that they will only get worse up until the election in the beginning of November.

No one would suspect that this is the very reason for the 'reminder' left on Zuko's face.

No one would suspect a thing. And that's that way 'daddy dearest' likes it.

Zuko's mind wander's during his exercise to that fateful day four years ago on this day.

Xxx Xxx Xxx

_**Four years ago, Sacramento California.**_

It was a calm Saturday; Zuko woke that morning feeling refreshed and hungry. It was early, very early for a young teenager like himself to be awake. It was probably around 5:30, but he had been very tired the night before, and went to bed early that night, so it was not to be unexpected. He assumed that his sister was still fast asleep. Entering the kitchen, he absentmindedly found himself a breakfast of cereal and milk, yawning as he closed the fridge to return the milk. Sitting at the island in the kitchen, he slowly ate his breakfast, waking up at the same time.

As he grew more conscious and less drowsy, he realized he heard something from the other room. A sort of hushed whisper, and it sounded like his father's voice. He knew his father to always be loud and direct with his words, so this made him _extremely_ curious.

Silently stepping down from his seat at the island, he tip-toed towards the door to the living room. It was cracked open about an inch, and he peered through. At first, it seemed like his father was talking to a business official, but it was hard to tell. All he could see was his father's back, standing tall and in his favorite black business suit. He was obviously talking to someone, and he was holding something in front of him.

After a minute of young Zuko watching from his hiding place Ozai finally shifted his feet and turned slightly. It was just enough for Zuko to both see past him and see what Ozai was holding. Both made him want to run and scream.

Ozai was holding a gun. What type? Zuko didn't know; it doesn't matter. Sitting in front of where Ozai was standing was a man, tied to the chair with his hands behind his back. A piece of duct tape hung from his jaw, showing that it had previously covered his mouth. And a piece of black cloth was pushed towards his forehead. Most likely he had been blindfolded earlier.

Zuko's hand flew to his mouth to stop himself from screaming as he scrambled backwards and down the hall, hoping his father hadn't heard him. He ran as quietly as possible up the staircase to his sister's room. He swung the door open, stopping it just before it hit the wall, and was shocked to see his sister awake. She sat quietly at the desk in her room, almost as if she'd been expecting him. The only indication she wasn't was her current phone call. She had her phone tucked on her shoulder, as she painted her nails a deep crimson.

"Azula! Dad's downstairs and h-" His hushed but anxious words were cut off when she held a freshly painted finger to her lips to silence him. She nonchalantly continued her phone call.

"Look Mai, we'll have to discuss this later. Zuzu's here and he says he needs to talk to me. I'll call you later." She paused a moment and then calmly snapped the phone shut. Her attention still on her nails, she spoke, "Whatever it is that dad is doing, I'm sure it's not important. He's an important man, what with the election in just over a week." She finally closed the nail polish bottle and flipped her hand over to blow on her nails, only then did she turn her eyes to him.

Zuko was frantic. "H-he's got some guy tied up downstairs. And- and- and, there's a gun and he was all quiet and – and dad's _never _quiet! I don't know what to do Azula!" His hands were waving in the air, his eyes constantly darting between the door and his sister.

Her voice still calm and unconcerned, she stood. "This sounds interesting." She grabbed Zuko by the wrist and pulled him out of the room. Before he could protest, they were down the stairs and back where he had been watching before.

It was as if no one had moved in the entire time Zuko was upstairs, except now, there was no gun. It had disappeared somewhere unknown to Zuko. And there was a man, also wearing a dark suit, standing off to the side of the room. He wore large black sunglasses that hid his eyes completely.

Unlike before, now Ozai spoke loud enough to be heard from the young teenagers' hiding spot in the doorway. "You are being far more difficult than I was hoping, so it will be much more fun to do this my way." He held his hand just inches from the man's face and from it sprung a large ball of flame, flickering menacingly in the dim room. This was of no surprise to the siblings, for their father had them trained with their fire bending in secret, saying 'It does not matter what they tell you. Fire bending is a gift and not a curse.'

"Y-you... you're a fire bender? I'll have you put away for this!" The man's voice wavered at first, but then grew strong and daring.

"Oh, I have no worry for that." The menacing edge in his father's words was enough to make Zuko's stomach churn, but Azula seemed fascinated by the spectacle. Zuko did not want to stay and see more; he had had his fill of this torture. He pulled away from the grip of his captivated sister and charged back up the stairs, slamming the door to his room and trying to drown out the screams of the man downstairs.

After some time, Azula entered his room without knocking. She poked her head in and saw Zuko leaning against the headboard of his bed, with his knees drawn to his chest and his arms wrapped around them. "Oh, calm down Zuzu. It's nothing to worry about. People die all the time. The weak die and the strong survive. Stop acting like such a baby."

"How can you be so cold?" His eyes still looked towards his knees, seemingly avoiding her gaze.

She walked into the room completely, leaving the door partway open. "I'm not cold. I'm realistic. Pull your head out of whatever fantasy world it's stuck in and look around. The world is cold and harsh, not me, and not father."

He finally looked up, straight into her eyes. The grip on his knees slackened and he held his head a little higher. "Murder. That was cold blooded murder."

"As I said before, the weak die and the strong survive."

"Murderer's go to jail. Father should go to jail."

"And what will happen to us. Will we live with that oaf we're forced to call uncle? I hope not. Besides, no one knows but us, and father won't get caught."

"I will. I'll call the police. I'll tell them."

"You will what?" a voice of neither child asked. They looked up to see their father in the doorway. He scowled down at his son.

Azula looked between the two, tightening her ponytail nervously. But that nervousness vanished quickly. "Zuzu was only joking. He's a bit of a baby and a little squeamish, but we already knew that. No harm's been done daddy, so don't worry." Her voice held a mocking and nonchalant tone, but the look in her eyes was both serious and full of fear.

Unfortunately, Zuko didn't take kindly to being called names, and he couldn't see her eyes from where he sat. "I am not. And I'm going to call the police on you father. You murdered that poor man."

The man did something neither sibling expected, for neither had heard anything like it before; Ozai laughed. But this was not a joyous laugh. This was not the type of laugh that happens when you hear a great joke. And it was certainly not a laugh anything like his brother's. No. This was a hollow laugh. This laugh was almost a cackle. A menacing cackle that sent chills down both of his children's spines.

"What proof do you have? There is none." He paused, his scowl growing wider and his eyes became harsh. "You are right on one account though. That was a poor man. He was a poor, spineless, shrimp of a man who stood in my way. He was weak. No one will miss him, no one important anyways."

Azula took this moment to slip out of the room, behind her father. She disappeared down the hall to who knows where.

"I will. I'll show you!" Zuko reached for his cell phone, sitting atop his desk. He dialed 911, but the call never finished. Ozai took the phone from his hand and melted it in his palm. He then attempted to grab Zuko by the collar, but Zuko dove between his legs and out of the door. He ran down the stairs and grabbed the home phone sitting in the kitchen. But before he could dial anything, his father arrived.

That day left Ozai with only a marginally hurt election campaign, while conversely, Zuko left to live with his Uncle, knowing that no one would ever believe his story. He also left with this 'little reminder'.

Xxx Xxx Xxx

Waking from his moment of reminiscence, Zuko's fury has not died. No. It is only fueled more. Thinking back he realizes his sister tried to help him at one point, even if it was in her own, twisted way. But that doesn't matter. Now, the same thing is happening all over again. More innocent people are going to get hurt and there is no proof that could say anything towards what's truly happening.

Zuko lets out a roar of anger, punching the bag one last time. Unfortunately, this punch also held fire, the fire Zuko had tried so hard to contain. Sand flows from the hole now created in the side of the bag. He collapses to his knees, completely forsaken with all of the pent up emotion now emerging all at once. _'I will not cry. Crying is what he'd want. He wants me weak. I am strong. I am stronger than he ever thought I could be.'_ The sand piles in front of him, gently rolling across his knees and to the ground.

After what seems like just a short while, though it must have been closer to an hour, his uncle returns home. Zuko hasn't moved, he's still collapsed on his knees, held together only by his thoughts. The remains of the desecrated punching bag swing gently in the fall breeze.

He says nothing, already aware of everything that is happening with Zuko. He merely reaches for Zuko's shoulders and helps Zuko stand, despite his mumbling and half-hearted protests. Iroh leads him into the house, where he will fill him with calming tea and let him rest.

Xxx Xxx Xxx

**So what did you think? I liked it. I realize, after writing this, that I like writing angsty stuff. Especially after having Sokka's chapter right before this. **

**Just to let you know, Zuko's hair is at the length it is in the middle of season 2. Where it's kind of spiked in the front. **

**Yeah. And also, my vacation ends tonight, so I'll be traveling all day tomorrow. Hopefully I can write something, but no promises, ok. Just be happy this is two chapters in the same day. Well, kind of. This one is at like 1:30 AM, but you know what I mean. **

**So let me know what you think. I'm pretty sure that's all I had to say, but you never know with me, I can be pretty forgetful. Anyways, feel free to PM me about anything, and please review. It makes me happy. **


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey everyone! So this one is a little on the short side, I know, but it's important nonetheless. Please forgive any Grammar/Spelling errors; I'm editing this at 2 in the morning. I know Aang and Zuko have been kind of aloof with each other, but this fixes that (sort of). Anyways, enjoy! :)**

Xxx Xxx Xxx

Leaving his locker, Aang paused to say goodbye to the Kesuk siblings and started his walk home. He was still worried about Zuko, who he hadn't seen all day. He knew that whatever had upset Zuko yesterday obviously wasn't whatever 'discussion' they had had at lunch, and he probably was just going to need a day or two to cool off.

'_Speak of the devil?'_ Zuko was leaning against the edge of the high chain-link fence that ran along the street, intending to keep passers-by off of the football field. He stood with one foot propped against the fence and his arms crossed; his ear were buds in and he was looking very contemplative. Zuko seemed oblivious to his presence, immersed in his thoughts. Aang almost turned away, thinking it was best to wait and let Zuko come to him when ready, but he decided against it. _'A short conversation can't hurt, right?'_

Aang joined Zuko in his leaning against the fence; if Zuko was startled, he hid it well. For a while, the two just stood, watching the people walk by and the biker's zoom past. After about 10 minutes, Zuko pulled his left ear bud out of his ear and turned his head slightly, eyeing Aang from his bad eye.

He seemed content to just sit in silence, but Aang felt quite the opposite. The silence, to him, was awkward and uncomfortable. Sure, the two boys are friends, sort-of, but they're not close. It's definitely Katara and Sokka who bring the two together, and Aang has no idea what to do or say.

Finally, the need to break the silence becomes too great; Aang rubs the back of his neck nervously, and looks towards Zuko. "I know we're not that close Zuko, but… well… I know something is bothering you, and I know it's not whatever we were talking about at lunch yesterday," he paused, eyeing Zuko and trying to judge his reaction.

Unfortunately for Aang, Zuko's face remained unchanged, exactly as it had been when he walked up in the first place. "I guess what I'm trying to say is… if you need to talk to someone, I'm a good listener, if you need someone to lend an ear. I know you might rather talk to Sokka, but he's not always the best at listening. He jumps to too many conclusions I guess."

Zuko remains silent for a moment, pensive. _'Whatever's been bugging he must be pretty important. I knew this was a bad idea.'_ Just as Aang is about to turn and leave, Zuko sinks downwards towards the ground. He finally sits on the ground, back against the fence, one knee bent and the other leg stretched out in front of him across the pavement.

Aang decides it's an invitation to stay, even if they don't talk. He slides down next to Zuko, with his legs folded and he's turned ever so slightly towards Zuko, right shoulder leaning against the fence. Zuko still remains silent, face unchanged. Aang watches him for a while, but then is distracted by watching the people around him.

Across the street, a young boy, maybe 3 or 4, swings on a small swing hanging from a tree. A woman, presumably his mother, sits on the porch reading a book. Although Aang can see she must not be reading very much, for she constantly looks up to watch the boy. The house is small, but neat and almost comforting. It's white, with tan trim and a matching roof. The lawn is well kept and a few toys, as well as a very small play structure, litter the yard. The boy laughs as he swings by himself, his eyes glittering and joyful. Aang sees a small part of himself in that boy: the platinum eyes, the midnight hair, the broad, enthusiastic smile.

After a few minutes, a man comes outside from the house, presumably the boy's father. He carries a small blue football in one hand, and strolls towards his wife. He kisses her gently, and then walks, with a skip in his step, towards the boy. He tosses the football towards the boy, who jumps out of the swing and catches it mid-flight with practiced ease.

The boy runs towards the dad and tackles him, and the two feign a fight for a few minutes before dissolving in a fit of giggles and decide to lie on the grass together.

"What I wouldn't give to have that." Zuko's voice seems so alien, breaking the silence so suddenly and harshly; it makes Aang jump slightly.

"What do you mean?" Aang asks, turning his attention from the family across the street to the friend sitting next to him.

"I never had that, not really. Maybe when my mother was around, but I don't remember much," Zuko pauses, watching how the mother walks over to the other two and sits in front of them, seemingly scolding them for something trivial, like grass stains or torn trouser. But she soon breaks into a smile and shows she's only teasing. "Did you ever have that? I wonder what it's like."

"My uncle Gyatso was an amazing guardian to me, but no, it wasn't the same as that."

"What about your parents? You never really talk about them."

"They died when I was three. I don't remember much of them really." Aang looked to the ground, seemingly fascinated with the grass beneath his fingertips.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know." Zuko looks to the ground too, trying to hide his embarrassment over his insensitivity.

Aang looks up at him, giving him a small but warm smile. "It's alright. I may not remember them, but I know they did a lot of good in their lives, even up until their deaths. I can be proud just for being related to them."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, part of why I don't remember them is because they were a part of an emergency response team that flew all over the world to help with natural disasters. So, even when I was young, I spent most of my time at Gyatso's house in Colorado. They were on the East Coast throughout August of 2001. There was a huge heat wave and they were helping with recovering victims. They were on flight 93, from Newark to D.C on September 11. They were going to take a connecting flight to Florida to help evacuees before Hurricane Gabrielle was supposed to hit on the 15th. Well, flight 93 was the one that crashed in Pennsylvania after being hijacked."

Zuko sat stunned for a moment. He had no idea what to say. Finally, he found words leaving his mouth, but they did no justice to what he wanted to convey. "I'm so sorry; I had no idea. They seem like such amazing people."

"Yeah, they were. You know, funny thing is, there's more to that story." Aang had a small, knowing grin on his face, remembering some memory or another. "What most people, anyone in the government especially, say is that the passenger's revolted and eventually brought the plane down. I guess that's true, but it's not the whole story." Aang took in a sharp breath and continued.

"Apparently, when the people revolted, they had no way of getting the plane down, or out of the hijackers' control, because of all the guns around. My parents eventually decided to tell everyone they were air benders. The passengers all agreed on a solution. They bent the air around the plane to bring it crashing down, while the other passengers, knowing they would die, blocked off the hijackers. Most died, shot, as the hijackers tried to control what was happening, but it bought my parents enough time to bring the plane crashing down. Once it was in a tail spin, my mom called Gyatso to tell him what was happening, and told him to take care of me. When the plane's remains were found, no one had survived."

Aang finally looked up, not realizing he had drawn his knees to his chest in the process of telling this long story. "I didn't know until I was 8. Gyatso had finally decided I was old enough." He drew a shuddering breath, lowering his chin to rest atop his right knee. "I may not remember them, but I'm so proud of them; proud to call them my parents."

Zuko watched him reflectively for a while, and the two boys lapsed into silence for a long time. Finally, Aang let out a relieved laugh, "Y'know, the last time I told anyone that story, it was to my friend Kuzon, back in Colorado. He's also a fire bender. You remind me of him in many ways, I think you would have liked each other if you ever met."

"What do you mean, 'would have'? You make it sound like I never can. What happened to him?"

"Let's just say, I made a lot of decisions back in Colorado that I'm not proud of, and some people got hurt. Maybe I'll tell you some day, but I don't feel like talking about it right now."

"Sure, I understand. We've all got a few skeletons in our closet; I should know." Zuko sighed quietly, but Aang heard it loud and clear. He looked at the scarred fire bender with curious eyes, pleading him to open up and share what he's keeping bottle inside himself.

He saw Aang's look and tried to ignore it, but after about 2 minutes of seeing Aang's eyes twinkle in his peripheral vision, Zuko gave in. With a more-dramatic-than-necessary sigh, "My mom's been MIA since I was 9, I don't know what happened to her, but I'm pretty sure it had something to do with my dad. She worked with the FBI for a while, but when my sister Azula was born, she stopped. I was only 1 ½ at the time. She still used to help out with her old friends from work every once in a while, but for the most part, she was a stay at home mom."

Zuko paused and looked like he was going to continue, but Aang cut him off. Obviously trying not to sound overwhelmed, "Wait. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait; you have a sister! And what do you think you're dad had to do with your mom's disappearance? I'm confused."

"Well, my family is... confusing, to say the least. Yeah, I have a sister; she's about Katara's ages. And I was getting to that. My mom decided to help an old colleague with a difficult case. She flew got on a plane to DC, but when it arrived, she didn't get off. No one knows what happened. But, knowing my father, I'd say he had something to do with it."

"Why, no one would kidnap their own wife. It doesn't make sense."

"It does when you have a mentally deranged sister and a serial killer for a dad." Zuko's eyes grow wide. He obviously wasn't planning on saying that. It just slipped out.

"S-serial killer? What are you talking about?"

"I guess I ought to tell you everything then, here, let me start with this," he points to the scar, the 'reminder' on his face.

Aang sits in silence while Zuko tells him about that fateful day, 4 years ago. His eyes grow wide at certain parts, but nonetheless he sits in silence, soaking in every word.

"… and I've been living with my uncle ever since," Zuko finished. "Y'know, I've never told anyone that, not even Sokka."

"So you're Governor Shoukyaku's son whose supposedly been studying abroad all these years? How has no one figured out that that's you? How has no one figured out all of what he's done? How-?"

"Slow down, one question at a time. And the answer's; yes; I don't know; and my father is very cunning." Zuko was obviously getting annoyed, even though he hid it well. _'Maybe I should just shut up? I don't want him to hate me _too_ much.' _

"I- uh… I'm really glad you told me all of this. We need to find a way to prove all of this, talk to the police or something."

Zuko's eyes widened for a moment, and then narrowed sharply. He turned himself towards the avatar, crouching on the balls of his feet. "You will not tell _anyone_ about this. Understand? No one. I've tried telling people, and it leads nowhere. Be happy I told you at least."

"But, we have to try. You never know, maybe he's gotten sloppier, maybe he made a mistake?"

"He doesn't make mistakes. He's Ozai Shoukyakou. It's just the way it is."

"But-"

"No buts. Don't tell anyone. Not even Katara. No one." Zuko glares at him until Aang finally nods. "Good. It's getting late; uncle must be worried about me." He stood, and reached a hand down to help Aang stand. Zuko then left without so much as a wave, crossing the street and disappearing around the corner.

Aang stood, dumfounded for a moment. _'Even if I don't tell anyone, maybe I can convince him to. We'll see. Something needs to be done.'_

As Aang walked home with thoughts swirling through his head, he tried to make sense of everything he heard today. He seemed to have confusing thoughts a lot lately. Knowing he would be able to work it out after a good night's rest, he took a deep breath of the cool night air and pushed the thoughts from his mind for the time being. _'I mean, I knew high school had drama, but who would have thought freshman year would be like this?'_

It had been less than a month since he moved here. What will it be like when he'd been here longer?

Xxx Xxx Xxx

**Yeah, I know it's low on action, high on drama (like the last few) but it gives important info about Aang's past. I'm slowly filling the characters' histories in. I promise Second Semester will have a lot more action (but probably more drama too :P ) I know I keep saying that, but trust me, it's true. You know, this is the first chapter I've written with no scene breaks? Weird huh? Anyways, please let me know what you think. I loved all the comments I got since the last chapter. And as I always say, feel free to PM me or ask me any questions. Criticism's ok to, I always want to improve. **


	10. Chapter 10

**I understand if you all hate me, I really do. I'm so so so so soooo sorry I missed last week's update. You have no idea what's been going on with me. It's crazy. Last weekend I had so much crappy drama that people were pulling me into, it's insane. And I really should be working or studying or something right now, because I have Finals week starting Monday, but I really don't want to. Luckily, after that I will have 2 weeks of winter vacation. And, although I probably won't work on this during the days before and after Christmas, I do plan on working on it throughout the rest of winter vacation. So, I'm hoping on updating at least 4 times before I'm sent back to school. :) Anyways, to the chapter. I hope you enjoy, and thank you for all the reviews!**

**And I forgot to do this for the last few chapters so…**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender. If I did, I would not have been so late updating this, because that would have gotten me sent to jail by all the millions of Fans. **

Xxx Xxx Xxx

Two teens walk along the large and winding ebony path, talking between themselves. The evening air is cool, and the sun is just beginning to set under the trees. A jogger passes by with a dog at her side, then, a biker rounds a corner and whizzes by, leaving rustling leaves in his wake. But the two pay no attention, and they are now left alone again, absorbed in the ebb and sway of conversation and comfortable silence.

The girl; tan with her dark hair braided down her back, walks in her warm black boots and soft white scarf, impermeable against the cold. The boy; about the same height, wears a cream beanie, covering his head and what secrets run along it. His matching, partial gloves keep his palms warm, but leave his fingers nimble and dexterous.

It's been a few weeks since he spoke with Zuko. Every opportunity he receives, he tries to convince Zuko to try to do something, but to no avail. Aang shivers a bit, but doesn't let her see. This moment, just walking and enjoying the night, is far more pleasant than anything he's done in a long time, and he'll keep anything from ruining this.

Unfortunately, some things are harder to hide. Like a sneeze. _**Achooooo!**_

Aang flies a few feet in the air, luckily, the two are alone. As he glides back to the ground, he shivers again, and this time it does not go unnoticed.

Concern wavers in her eyes as she types. "You look so cold. I hope you're not getting sick."  She pulls off her scarf, handing it to him. At first, he silently refuses, unable to speak as he is focusing on making his teeth stop their incessant chattering. "Take it, we can't have you getting sick, or more of that," she motions her hand up and down where he had flown into the air, "will keep happening. I'll be fine; I like the cold".

Looking at her eyes and seeing sincerity, he took the scarf, wrapping it tightly around his neck twice. Breathing in, he can smell her perfume, almost like apple cider meets gingerbread; full of the smell of the holidays. "Th-thanks-s K-Kat-t-tara." He finally spoke, but his teeth wouldn't stop their chattering.

"You really are cold, I better get you home. Chong and Lily are probably getting worried about you anyways."

"I-I'll be f-f-fine. I d-don't feel l-like g-g-going home just yet-t. B-bes-sides, th-they s-said I c-an b-be—"

"No buts. I'm serious. We do not need a sick avatar. You're already worse than you should be. How long have you been feeling sick?" She grabbed his hat as the monotonic voice spoke and pulled it farther down his head, covering his ears completely.

She pulled him in the direction of an intersection of street and path, knowing the way to his house well. "A f-few d-days. I thought it-t would-d j-just go away. I—" His sentence was cut off with a sharp cough, and then his chattering resumed. He seemed to decide whatever he had been planning to say was not important. The chattering of his teeth was becoming less and less frequent as both the scarf and the faster pace of their walking warmed him up, but he still shivered.

Katara huffed, and then realized the air was cold enough to make their breaths fog. Awkwardly trying to type with one hand and keep the other around Aang for warmth, she eventually got written what she wanted to convey, though not as articulately as she would have liked. "Why you no tell me sooner? I could have help get better before it this bad. You may miss school now, don't want you sneeze in class and fly to roof." 

She growled silently at the words and huffed, but kept at least one arm around him at all times in the hopes of keeping him warm. He was still shivering severely and the night was growing colder quickly.

Eventually, they found their way to Aang's house. Chong and Lily were out. _Probably what Aang was trying to tell me earlier. _ And so Katara followed him inside in the hopes of helping him recover, or at least feel better, before Chong and Lily came back.

Aang sat on the couch and waited for Katara to say something. She'd been here once before, and knew the general layout of the house, but had no idea where anything specific was. "Aang, where do you keep spare blankets?" He pointed to a small chest in the corner, and when she opened it, it had 2 plush comforters. She pulled one out and laid it on him. "I'm going to try to make you some tea. Stay here and keep warm."

The hot water kettle was on the stove already, so she filled it and turned the burner on. She then started shuffling through the cupboards until she found what she was looking for. _Ah, chamomile. Perfect. _She then pulled out 2 mugs from the cupboard above the sink and waited for the kettle to whistle.

Katara peaked her head around the corner of the white walled kitchen and could barely see the back of Aang's head, leaning against the arm of the couch. She decided to use the washroom, hoping that Aang may have fallen asleep and she didn't want to disturb him.

When she returned, the kettle was beginning to whistle, and she heard a loud and abrupt cough from the other room. Bringing the mugs to the couch, she discovered Aang had not fallen asleep as she'd hoped. _He needs sleep._ He was deep in thought, staring out the window and the dark night sky. The only thing breaking his expression was an occasional sniffle or cough. She set her mug down on a side table and handed the other to him, then she quickly ran back into the kitchen to grab her communicator. It still sat on the counter where she had left it.

When Katara returned to Aang, he was the same, but different. His eyes were even more glazed over; his face was drawn into grave thought. He seemed older, weighed down with some heavy burden. And yet, he seemed as if he wanted to curl up and hide forever, like a small, scared child.

The confliction in his face scared her.

Her first instinct was to ask him about it and make him tell her so he wouldn't carry this burden alone. But the more she thought about it, the more Katara realized that he would tell her when she was ready, and no sooner.

She turned and saw the large fireplace, situated below a large TV. A small stack of wood, in various shapes and sizes, lay on the edge of the hearth. "I'm going to make a fire to warm us up, alright?"

He finally drew his eyes away from the window and gave Katara a small smile. "You don't have to. I'm alright, really." He tried to look well, but his sniffling gave him away.

"But I want to. It's been a while and this will be good practice. Our family went camping a lot when I was little, and my dad taught me how."

"OK, but are you sure I shouldn't just fire bend?" He coughed loudly, and Katara decided it might be best to humor him, but still keep him warm and resting.

"How about I build the wood into the right stack and them you can light it with your fire bending. We can compromise."

Aang nodded and Katara got to work building the fire stack. It seems Aang has long given up protesting against her, knowing full well he'd end up losing in the end.

After a few minutes Katara stood back and nodded to Aang, who then sent a small fireball towards the center. It lit the stack of smaller twigs and branches, eventually spreading outwards towards the larger pieces. Soon, they had a large fire glowing, and the warmth spread throughout the room, warming them quickly.

The two fell into comfortable silence for a long while, sitting side by side and watching the flickering fire. The only interruption was an occasional cough or sniffle from the sick avatar. Katara was about to say that she should go home and let Aang rest, but he spoke first.

"Have you ever known someone else's secret, and it tore you apart inside?"

She gave him a curious look, and he clarified. "I mean, you know something, and you know that you should do something about this something, but you can't because the someone who told you this something says they've already tried to do something and nothing worked, but you think if you try something new, it might."

Katara looked completely baffled now, and Aang realized he made no sense. He gave a small smile and shook his head. He pulled his beanie off and ran his hand nervously along his tattoo. "Forget it, I know, I'm not even making any sense." He sneezed again, though he didn't fly high into the air this time, the force did push his side of the couch backwards a few inches, causing it to squeak loudly.

Katara grabbed the tissue box that sat on the side table next to her and handed it to Aang, who gratefully took it and set it nest to him. "I know you're trying to not tell me whatever it is that's on your mind, but I don't think I can help you if you don't tell me what's bothering you;" she shifted her weight and sat up straighter. Scooting closer to Aang, Katara grabbed his hand, "you can tell me anything." She struggled with herself; she knows he'll tell her when he's ready, but she can't stand seeing him like this.

He finally looked her in the eye, his eyes full of confliction. Finally, he says, "I'll say this: if you knew someone was out there, hurting people, killing people… innocent people... just because they don't agree with him, and you're good friend is their kid, what would you do? You're friend says they've tried everything, but there is not enough evidence, and they don't want anyone they love to get hurt." He looked away from Katara, staring into the fire once more. "And I promised not to tell anyone, my friend would probably be angry at me just for saying this much." The confliction in his eyes finally welled over and he placed his head in his hands to try to block the tears. "Oh, Katara. I don't know what to do."

Katara pulled him into a tight embrace, running her hand soothingly across his back. She leaned away, so as to type, but she still kept him close. "Well, if going to the police won't work, then we'll just have to work something out ourselves. I don't know how much work it'll take, but we can find others who'll help us find a way." Seeing him finally look up, she smirked, "We do have a fairly eclectic group of friends."

His eyes were still wet with tears, twin trails glistened his cheeks. Sick and sad, Aang wrung his hands nervously. "But, you're only saying that because you don't know the scale of this. It's huge. I may be the Avatar, but with everything he's done, we could lose a lot of people. What if our friends die, what if he ruins this town, what if he still walks away, and we get sent to jail, what if—"

" 'To pin your hopes upon the future is to consign those hopes to a hypothesis, which is to say, a nothingness. Here and now is what we must contend with.' " Seeing his confusion, Katara continued, "It's a quote by Angela Carter. It may seem grim, but it's true. We can't lean our hopes on the future… but we also can't put our fears into it. We need to take this one day at a time, relying on ourselves and our friends; we can't let fear take us over." 

"You're right. We'll always be able to do something. Now all I need to do is convince Z- uh… my friend." Katara didn't seem to notice the slip up, so he left it as is. They two finally drifted into another spell of comfortable silence, but it was frustratingly interrupted by Aang having another large coughing fit.

"You should get some rest, and I should go home. It's getting kind of late, but I'd be surprised if Sokka even notices I'm gone." She smirked, and it elicited a smile from Aang. "I'll come by to check on you tomorrow afternoon. Hopefully you'll be better before Monday. We only have a week before Thanksgiving vacation, and that'll be fun."

She leaned down to give him a quick hug before rushing to the door. "Goodnight!" the monotonic voice rang as she closed the door behind her.

Aang sat still on the couch, watching the fire and contemplating how he was going to convince Zuko to tell the others without letting him onto the fact that he told Katara what he did. It wasn't until after the fire had died and he made his way towards his room for sleep did he realize he was still wearing Katara's scarf. Aang fell asleep with thoughts of apple cider and gingerbread, finally calming his conflicting mind for the first time that night.

Xxx Xxx Xxx

**Again, I'm really sorry for this being late. But, as I said, I should have a lot out once vacation starts. I hope you like this. I was originally going to have this chapter go on much farther into the plot, but I realized that what I wanted to do is probably going to take up 3 chapter if I want to actually do them justice and not rush them. And, if any of you are still there, please Review. I love it when you do.**

**And, as a side note: please check out ****N. a. Brun'****s "Calling all Kataanger's!" He worked to give us a Kataang month, instead of a week. That way both Zutara and Kataang are equal. Yay! **


	11. hiatus note

**Ok, you may all hate me when you realize this isn't an actual chapter. I know it's been a long time since I updated, and I just wanted to say: I've lost the drive for this. I know where I want to be in a few chapters time, but I don't know how to get there. It's going to take me a while to find that, and I honestly feel like my past chapters need some work. So this chapter is officially on hiatus, but only until I have it all figured out and know exactly what I'm doing. Once that happens, I'll probably update at rapid-fire pace. For now, I've got a few things I'm working with, on the side, but nothing major. I WILL finish this. I promise. It may just not be for a while. I understand if that annoys any of you, but it's just the way it's going to be. Anyways, please, keep an eye out for this once I do update again, because I will. **

**TTFN :), **

**Kataanglover138**


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